A/HRC/43/50/Add.2 protected. Much more needs to be done to protect these ecosystems and integrate them in adaptation plans. Moreover, they represent natural heritage which should also be recognized in policymaking. 83. Similarly, more importance should be given to sustainable, local and organic farming, fishing and coastal development, and more support, including financial support, should be devoted to the transmission of knowledge and skills in these areas. Some expressed regret that the country’s development priorities since the 1970s had led to Maldivians gradually losing ways of life that had allowed them to live in harmony with nature. Efficient responses to environmental threats must tap into and combine both traditional and new knowledge. The Special Rapporteur was glad to hear of some civil society initiatives – for example, students developing a coral garden to breed fish bait and community coastal clean-up actions. Such activities should be magnified and publicized. 84. Some independent voices called for greater transparency in decision-making processes and the spending of international funding related to climate change. Information received seems to indicate potential conflicts of interest in decision-making with regard to the environment, development projects and tourism, which should be closely looked into in order to avoid harmful effects and the perception of what one advocate characterized as “land grab, sea grab, tree grab”. Further research in these areas should be conducted and promoted. 85. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the increase in the number of protected natural sites and the fact that recent disaster risk assessments have focused on building local resilience and included cultural components and consultations with the Department of Heritage. Contacts and coordination between policymakers in the fields of culture and the environment need to be institutionalized and further enhanced in coordination with the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage. There is also a need to increase technical staffing at the National Disaster Management Authority so as to broaden its national reach, ability to respond and relevant expertise on culture. The Special Rapporteur sincerely appreciated the discussion she had about the consultative and participatory approach this body was trying to take with regard to disaster preparedness, including with women and young people. 86. Culture, traditional knowledge – such as about the movement of sand and fishing practices – and cultural heritage in all its forms represent powerful resources for addressing the challenges caused by climate change in a manner that respects human rights and building resilience, and they need to be further incorporated in adaptation and mitigation efforts. They are also important in helping define the type of development Maldivians want and what they wish to transmit to the next generation. 87. The Special Rapporteur commends the country for its international leadership on climate change and is determined to support the most-affected countries at the international level and echo their voices by demanding the international community urgently help meet the threat to their survival, including cultural survival. In 2020, the Special Rapporteur intends to prepare a thematic report on climate change and culture around the world. She is grateful for the expert input received during her mission, which will assist in this work. Moreover, she invites experts and advocates in Maldives to share further information with her. IV. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 88. Many previous Governments in Maldives have created a political environment in which popular participation, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of association and the free manifestation of cultural expressions, artistic performances and diversity were not welcome. Moreover, cultural rights were not a priority. Traces of this can still be seen in official narratives around homogeneous identity and in the accounts the Special Rapporteur received of authorities’ ongoing difficulties in organizing and integrating timely and meaningful consultation, which is required in any democratic society. It will take time to change the habits of both decision makers and citizens and to build the necessary trust for a society with greater respect for 15