Six Senses Laamu

Sustainability strategy

Laamu’s sustainability strategy ‘Local Sensitivity, Global Sensibility’ includes initiatives around energy saving, seagrass conservation, waste reduction, reef protection, and wildlife conservation. The high density of seagrass in this part of the Maldives, can support up to 80,000 fish and is a vital form of food for sea turtles — to date this resort has recorded 107 green and 93 hawksbill turtles. Laamu’s six marine biologists continually update its visitor’s understanding of this rich biodiversity and work towards the long-term goal of turning the 19,200-acre atoll into a Marine Protected Area.

Community programme

This resort partakes in quarterly meetings with the island and atoll councils, run through the ‘Eku-Eky’ (together) community programme, which focuses on awareness of environmental issues, including waste management and sustainable fishing. Since creating the country’s first-ever Dolphin Watching Code of Conduct in 2014, Laamu has taken pride in weaving responsible travel practices into the guest experience.

Manta ray conservation

Since 2014, the Manta Trust has been working in Laamu to study the local manta ray population and to educate guests and the local community about the importance and vulnerability of manta rays in the Maldives.

Partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation

This resort supports the sustainable management of vulnerable grouper fisheries through a partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation. The on-site team has identified grouper spawning aggregation sites and sizes at maturity for key species. This data has been used to lobby for changes to size limits that are currently inadequate. BLUE is now working towards a network of locally-managed marine protected areas in consultation with community leaders, part of the global goal to put 10% of the world’s oceans under protection by 2020 and 30% by 2030.

Drinking water projects

50% of water sales in all the resort’s restaurants goes into a fund specifically for projects providing clean, reliable drinking water to local communities in need. This fund has donated a reverse osmosis water plant to the regional hospital, 30 household water filters to a local island and larger water filters to all 23 schools and pre-schools in the atoll.

The Long Run

The Long Run is a membership organisation of nature-based tourism businesses committed to driving sustainability. Here at Jacada, we’ve signed The Long Run Charter – a document that advocates for a 4Cs approach to sustainability. By focusing on our impacts across the different areas of Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce, we hope to make a positive impact across the globe with our trips. The Long Run’s Global Ecosphere Retreats are hotels and lodgings which are centres of excellence in sustainability, and Fellow Members are properties committed to achieving the highest standards in sustainability by positively impacting the conservation of nature and improving the wellbeing of local communities. At Jacada, we’re working with a number of these properties to help increase the positive impact we’re striving to create through travel. Find out more about The Long Run here.