Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim has stressed on the need for preparedness to mitigate the effects of climate change on water and sewerage networks in the Atolls.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the emergency response plan for water and sewerage services, Minister Thoriq said 133 islands in the country currently have water services while 144 have sewerage networks.
The Minister stressed on the importance of maintaining these systems safely, adding that this emergency response plan was vital to ensuring the uninterrupted provision of water and sewerage services.
He pointed out that due to the country’s geographical dispersion, the utility networks in every island need to be managed separately, urging residents of each and every island to always be prepared for emergencies.
Noting that islands are heavily dependent on water and sewerage networks, the Minister warned of the dangers posed by the ever increasing climate disasters, adding that one of the biggest challenges faced by islands is the flooding of sewerage networks due to heavy rainfall.
"Islands are heavily dependent on water and sewerage systems. We are experiencing a lot of disasters due to climate change. Now the biggest problem in the islands is flooding due to rainfall causing the sewerage networks to get flooded, leading to sewage leaks in the islands,” the Minister added.
In addition to sewerage networks, Minister Thoriq also stressed on the need for islands to protect their water sources in the face of such disasters.