Minister of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim has announced that the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dr. Grethel Aguilar, has assured that the European Union (EU) will provide USD 7.16 million for environmental projects in the Maldives. The assurance was made during a meeting between the Minister and the IUCN Director General on the sidelines of the RCF 2024 Asia Forum, organised by IUCN.
In their discussions, Minister Thoriq highlighted the current environmental projects in the Maldives that are being implemented with the assistance of IUCN, funded by USD 162,000 from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The meeting also addressed future projects in collaboration with IUCN. The EU has allocated 6.5 million euros for initiatives aimed at reducing the use of disposable plastics and protecting the environment. These projects are scheduled to begin next year.
Minister Thoriq emphasised that the government is taking various steps to reduce environmental damage, including efforts to curb the use of single-use plastics. A tree planting initiative has also been launched, alongside several beach protection and environmental projects aimed at addressing coastal erosion.