Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology has commenced work to establish an ambient air quality monitoring station in the Greater Male' Region.
The environment ministry is currently seeking a contractor to make a technical assessment prior to establishing the station. The ministry said interested parties are required to submit their bids before August 12.
The ambient air quality monitoring station will allow the government to determine the amount and type of pollutants in the Greater Male' Region. Experts have warned that the increase in vehicles and industrial activity and the resulting toxic fumes have increased in Greater Male' Region.
In a public address on World Environment Day in 2019, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih vowed the government would take measures to decrease air pollution in the country. In the same year, the government launched the country's first National Action Plan on Air Pollutants, which specified the types of air pollutants and proposed measures to monitor sectors that cause air pollution. The measures are expected to drastically reduce air pollution by 2030 and are part of the government's efforts to protect the environment.