President Dr Mohamed Muizzu visited Thilafushi on Thursday to review the progress of the Greater Malé Environmental Improvement and Waste Management Project, a two-phase initiative that aims to establish a sustainable solid waste management system in the Maldives.
The first phase, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), and the Maldivian Government, focuses on modernising waste collection, transfer, and disposal across the Greater Malé region and outer islands. It includes rehabilitating the Thilafushi waste reception facility, constructing new waste transfer stations, and developing a demolition waste processing plant and an end-of-life vehicle dismantling plant. A new inter-island waste transfer vessel is also in development.
The second phase introduces waste-to-energy (WTE) technology, addressing the 774 tonnes of waste generated daily in the region. It aims to reduce pollution at Thilafushi's ageing dumpsite by improving treatment, recycling, and disposal infrastructure while increasing public awareness of sustainable waste management.
During the visit, the President, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers and senior Government officials, also assessed the progress at the Thilafushi Regional Waste Management Facility where operations have significantly improved. Baling production, which was previously halted, has resumed at 76 bales per day, while 991 bales have been relocated to optimise space. Efficiency at waste offloading areas has doubled, with vessel clearance times at the Resort Waste Reception Area cut from one day to one hour, and Landing Craft Offloading Area (LCT) clearance times reduced from three days to five hours.
Moreover, security at the facility has been enhanced with advanced surveillance systems, and 6,500 tonnes of waste have been repurposed as landfill cover material to clear access roads to the WTE plant. A new 5,000 square metre waste cell has also been developed to handle waste for the next two years.
The projects aim to address challenges in waste management and environmental improvement in the Maldives, ensuring continued efficiency in the nation's efforts to mitigate the climate emergency; a cause the Government continues to champion.
