A pilot project designed to transform waste into compost is successfully progressing across six islands, the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy announced. This initiative forms part of a broader government strategy to resolve the national waste crisis by converting refuse into both energy and compost.
The administration aims to complete regional waste management centres by July of next year, the Deputy Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Ahmed Nizam, noted during an appearance on the PSM News programme 'Raajje Miadhu'. While officials upgrade existing facilities, resources have been provided to 88 islands to support local operations. In many communities, up to 70 per cent of waste is biodegradable, prompting officials to extract economic value rather than discarding the material. This technology is active on Kolhufushi, Kurendhoo, Muli, Kudahuvadhoo, Thimarafushi, and Dhanbidhoo.
“We are ensuring this is managed safely, in a manner that also yields a profit for us,” the deputy minister asserted. “This is being achieved by undertaking initiatives to convert the material into compost that we can then utilise.”
The national strategy encompasses seven geographical zones, with the government considering consolidation based on regional waste volumes and needs. Sustainable waste management practices have also reached the penal system, where the Maldives Correctional Service has finalised a composting agreement with Soneva Namoona. Discarded food from prison facilities is now repurposed to produce compost, an initiative advancing successfully.