The President has pledged to advocate for citizens' rights in the face of the critical challenges posed by climate change.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu made this commitment while addressing the nation during the official ceremony marking the Republic Day of the Maldives, where he focused on environmental issues and the impact of climate change.
Announcing his intention to attend the COP-29 summit in Azerbaijan, which begins on November 11, the President stated that he aims to secure compensation from those responsible for environmental destruction to address the harm caused.
The President highlighted the country's ecological fragility, emphasising the need for regional development. He also stressed the importance of recognising climate change as an undeniable reality.
He conveyed that the current Government has implemented several initiatives to protect the environment and advance the nation's sustainable development goals. The President reaffirmed the Government's commitment to pursuing development sustainably and outlined key initiatives undertaken over the past year.
One such initiative includes the goal of increasing the share of eco-friendly and clean energy to 33 per cent of the nation's total energy consumption. To achieve this, he noted that 15 MW of solar power has been generated over the past year, with a 164 MW solar power generation project currently in progress.
In his address, the President also mentioned that alongside 'Magey Solar Project,' 400,000 trees have already been planted, contributing towards the goal of planting 5 million trees to make the country greener. He further announced plans to establish a biosphere reserve on three additional islands, complementing the efforts in Baa Atoll. Additionally, he highlighted that 17 islands have been designated for environmental conservation, with initiatives such as the installation of rubbish bins on these islands, the donation of special waste collection vehicles to 99 islands, and other waste management support.
