President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has revealed development and progress should be attained without compromising the natural habitat and environmental values.
Addressing the ceremony held to inaugurate the nationwide tree plantation programme as part of his 100-day goals, President Solih reiterated the administration will not sacrifice the natural environment in the name of development and the development policy of the administration will be planned in a way that it goes hand-in-hand with safeguarding the environment.
Speaking at the ceremony, the president assured the administration will not support the desertification of an island to green another. In this regard, he said the 100 small palm trees and 150 plants being planted during the ceremony held to inaugurate the nationwide tree plantation programme were not taken from another island and that they were grown at the nursery in Hulhumale’.
Highlighting the need for proper implementation of environment laws, the president stated the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be further strengthened to function independently. President said as the first step towards achieving the goal, the role of preparing environmental impact assessments will be taken from the mandate of the Ministry of Tourism and transferred to Ministry of Environment. He further underscored the importance of sustainably carrying out the tree plantation project and called upon all Maldivians to be part of the tree plantation programme.
The First 100-Days Pledges of the president encompass a vast scope of areas. As part of his environment related pledges, President Solih has initiated the campaign to reduce single-use plastic at government institutes and launched a national cleaning exercise.
Furthermore, the Cabinet has also set plans in motion to declare Baarah in Haa Alifu Atoll and Keylakunu and Neykurendhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll as environmentally protected conservation areas.
The nationwide tree plantation programme was inaugurated at Hulhumale' Phase-2 area. Environment ministry is currently working on expanding the programme to all inhabited islands of Maldives.