By 
On Saturday, the presidents of eleven islands in the Baa, Noonu, and Haa Dhaalu atolls presented government ministers and MPs a radical, new vision of improved waste management in their islands and pledged to take actions to reduce island waste and pollution.
Those islands are B. Kendhoo, B. Kudarikilu, B. Kamadhoo, B. Kihaadhoo, B. Dhonfanu, B. Dharavandhoo, B. Maalhos, N.Lhohi, N. Magoodhoo, N. Kudafari, and HDh. Makunudhoo.
Following a two-day workshop held at Soneva Fushi in October to design the program’s next phase, the presidents of the “Namoona” islands (in Dhivehi “Namoona” means “exemplary”) signed the commitments and handed them to ministers at a high-level meeting to celebrate the Soneva Namoona program.
The signing of these commitments took place at the high-level event on Baa Kihaadhoo in the presence of Minister for Environment, Climate Change, and Technology Aminath Shauna, Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdullah Mausoom, CEO of Local Government Authority Afshan Latheef, and Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Decentralization MP Ali Niyaz.
The island council presidents, in their written commitment, pledged to:
– Segregate, clean and collect all recyclable solid waste on their islands, and end the open burning of non-organic waste, by the end of 2023
– Lead an ambitious phase-out of single use plastics on the islands.
– Hire and train waste management specialists and share their knowledge to other islands.
– Support inter-island initiatives such as the Alun Balun re-sale market to encourage waste reduction.
In addition to these pledges, the island council presidents urged the government to do more to reduce the numbers of single-use plastics that are left behind on the islands and support islands in improving waste management. In this regard council presidents provided the government with 13 policy proposals.
The delegation observed how households on the island are segregating their household waste, toured Kihaadhoo’s Eco Centro, a revamped waste management centre, and visited the ‘Alun Balun’ resale market, an initiative founded by the women’s development committees (WDC) of Namoona islands in Baa Atoll to sell second-hand goods that rotates between the seven islands of B. Maalhos, Dharavandhoo, Kihaadhoo, Dhonfanu, Kudarikilu, Kamadhoo and Kendhoo.
According to the President of Kihaadhoo council Hussain Shafiu, they believe this can be a blueprint for the rest of the Maldives to move towards sustainable waste management practices. Moreover, President of Soneva Namoona NGOAzhoora Ahmed noted that the policy recommendations shared are drawn from the shared learnings of the Namoona islands. These are priceless insights reflecting the reality of refining sustainable management practices in the Maldives.
Furthermore, Minister Shauna thanked the councils and Soneva Namoona for the thought they have put into formulating these. And noted that this is a good example of local communities, civil society and the private sector coming together to innovate and solve the huge challenge of waste management in the Maldives.
About Post Author
in #Thiladhunmathi
Comments