The Government of Japan Commits USD 5.1 Million To Enhance Sustainable Waste Management Capacities in Maldives

On Monday, the Government of Japan pledged USD 5.1 million to the Maldives to enhance the sustainable waste management capacities in the country. The grant agreement was signed on December 19^th, 2022, between the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, His Excellency Takei Shunsuke and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Maldives, His Excellency Ahmed Khaleel.

As per the terms of the Exchange of Note, the Japanese Government committed a grant of Seven Hundred Million Japanese Yen (¥ 700,000,000) approximately equivalent to USD 5.1 million and MVR 80 million. The grant would help further carry out the social and economic development of the Maldives.

The grant funding will be utilized to address environmental deterioration and public health concerns of the island communities by assisting in the establishment of a proper waste collection and segregation system. Through this waste will be collected, segregated, and transported to a regional facility for final treatment, disposing of the waste in a sustainable manner. Aligning with this objective, specific fund points for the grant include:

-Encourage waste segregation to enforce the waste management regulation
-Create an efficient intra-island waste collection system in the islands
-Reduce the volume of waste that enables easy transportation

As such, the equipment procured under the grant will include a Waste Glass Crusher, Waste Can/Plastic Compressor, Light Weight Trucks, Wheel Loaders, and Compactor Trucks. The scope of the project spans over 90 inhabited islands across 3 regional facilities for large-scale waste management. With this assistance, the Government of Japan hopes that it will help in the efforts of the Government of Maldives to build a sustainable and integrated waste management system across the whole country.