The government of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has accelerated its campaign to secure universal access to clean water, completing 42 water system projects across the nation’s islands in the past two years. The achievement marks a decisive step in modernising essential services and meeting the legal requirement for safe water and sanitation nationwide.
The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure reported that work has been undertaken on 93 projects to date. Of these, 42 have been fully completed, a figure highlighted in the ministry’s two-year review. The completed systems include both newly initiated works and the resolution of projects that had previously stalled.
Contractual delays have long hindered large-scale infrastructure development. To address these obstacles, the government reassigned several stalled projects to new contractors. Following these interventions, many works were brought to completion, and services are now operational in the affected islands.
Construction continues on 51 islands, where water systems are being established under close oversight. This phase includes the termination of stalled contracts and their reallocation to ensure continuity and timely progress.
The expansion of sewerage networks has also advanced. Of the Maldives’ 187 inhabited islands, 133 now have operational systems, extending essential services across much of the country. Work is under way even in islands where systems already exist, aimed at extending coverage to newly populated areas and upgrading networks to meet growing demand.
The national objective is mandated by law: every inhabited island must be equipped with safe water and sewerage systems. Earlier this year, the government extended the compliance deadline, requiring full coverage across all islands by 2027.