Climate Change, Environment, and Energy Minister Thoriq Ibrahim announced that waste management equipment will be brought to the Maldives by August. This announcement was made during the signing ceremony for the handover of 30 waste management vehicles donated by the Government of Japan to various island councils.
On December 11 of last year, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with a foreign company to supply waste management equipment to 45 islands across four atolls: Noonu, Baa, Raa, and Lhaviyani. The equipment includes vehicles specifically designed for waste management tasks.
Minister Thoriq Ibrahim highlighted that efforts are being made to expedite the delivery of the equipment, which was acquired through an international auction. In the past six months, 22 islands have already received solid waste management equipment.
“The issue of waste management cannot be funded by the government alone. We are addressing the problem by securing funds and loan assistance from foreign multinational donors,” said Minister Thoriq Ibrahim.
In addition to the new equipment, the minister mentioned plans to establish regional waste management centers in three parts of the country. Efforts are also underway to further develop the waste management plant in Vandhoo, enhance the capacity of the Thilafushi plant, and fully operationalize the Addu waste management plant within the next two years.
To address the broader waste management challenges, the government launched a national waste management policy, ‘My Clean Maldives,’ on June 5. Minister Thoriq Ibrahim emphasized that this policy aims to resolve waste management issues across all Maldivian islands by 2028.
