Maldivians might not be able to contribute much to combat climate change, but adapting to the changes and increasing preparedness must be done together, president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said.
Speaking at a ceremony in Alif Alif Ukulhas island to mark World Environment Day on Monday night, Solih said it is the state’s responsibility to protect the rich environment and its beauty for future generations.
“We might not be able to do much to combat climate change, but adapting to climate change impacts and increasing preparedness is something that must be done together,” he said.
He highlighted waste management as the biggest environmental challenge in the Maldives with more waste being generated as the country’s living standards improve.
“Our aim is to establish modern waste centers on each island and provide vehicles, machinery and resources,” he stated.
The government also wants to establish three large waste collection centers to manage waste that cannot be managed at the island level.
Solih said plastic imports have gone down by 50 percent since the government began a policy to reduce single-use plastic.
“We are working to ban more plastic items in the future. Our target is to eliminate single-use plastic from the Maldives.”
