Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna has stated that reversing climate change and stopping the damage to the environment is crucial for the safety and health of citizens.
Speaking at the ceremony held in Fuvahmulah City to mark World Environment Day, Minister Shauna said plastic pollution is the main contributor to the deteriorating health of the ocean and coral reefs and that the Single-Use Plastic Phase-out Plan is being implemented to solve the issue. The minister noted the plan is being implemented in different phases and that 13 types of plastic will be banned in the Maldives by 2023. She expressed confidence that the plan will reduce plastic pollution by a large margin, resulting in a cleaner environment and improved health for citizens.
Furthermore, Minister Shauna said that the government is solving the waste management issue in different phases, which include establishing regional waste management centres in three regions, establishing waste management centres in every inhabited island, as well as providing the equipment and resources needed to manage waste in the atolls. She also said the government is implementing new waste management regulations, which include requiring households to segregate waste.
Additionally, Minister Shauna said the government is implementing measures for the safe management and disposal of hazardous chemical waste by formulating a bill with the help of experts. She further said that plans have been made to allow Fuvahmulah to transport hazardous chemical waste to the regional waste management facility and that air quality monitoring systems have been established in eight areas including Fuvahmulah, and will be expanded to more areas.
Minister Shauna highlighted that the latest scientific findings show that countries like the Maldives will be greatly affected by climate change if global temperatures rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next 10 years. She noted that numerous islands are suffering from erosion and other harmful of climate change, which is why the government is signing climate-related agreements and advocating for global climate change action.