The low-lying island of Maldives has pledged to be the first nation where the entire country will be a biosphere reserve by 2017. It has set a goal that ensures that more than half of the country’s atolls are implementing the new approach by the end 2017, in order to trigger the application for Maldives as a Biosphere Reserve to be submitted to the UNESCO. The implementation plan, called ‘Maldives as a Biosphere Reserve: An Implementation Plan 2013-2017’, sets a roadmap for up to 2017, after which the plan will be updated based on progress and lessons learned.