The Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) says it is ready to begin construction of waste management centres in the majority of the islands assigned to the company, as the government continues implementing a nationwide programme to strengthen waste management infrastructure.
WAMCO has been contracted to develop waste management centres in 34 islands as part of a broader national initiative aimed at improving waste collection, processing and disposal across the Maldives.
Speaking to state media PSM News, WAMCO General Manager Ismail Ubaid said preparations have been completed in around 90 percent of the islands allocated to the corporation, with materials already mobilised and work set to begin.
According to Ubaid, construction has yet to commence in a small number of islands because the locations designated for the facilities have not been finalised in the respective island land use plans.
“We have now mobilised in 90 percent of the islands and are ready to begin work. The issue in the remaining islands is that construction cannot start until a specific site for the waste management centre has been identified in the land use plan. Work is progressing in all the other islands,” he said.
The development of island waste management centres forms part of the government’s wider strategy to establish a more integrated and sustainable waste management system throughout the country.
Waste management has long been one of the Maldives’ most pressing environmental challenges, with many islands facing difficulties in waste segregation, storage and disposal due to limited infrastructure and land availability. Successive governments have introduced projects to improve waste collection and reduce open burning while promoting environmentally sustainable waste management practices.
To address these challenges, the government has awarded contracts to several state-owned enterprises and private companies to build waste management centres on islands that currently lack such facilities.
The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy has previously announced plans to establish waste management centres in 129 islands by July next year.
Of those projects, 110 islands have been assigned to state-owned companies including WAMCO, the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Fenaka Corporation and the Road Development Corporation (RDC), while the remaining 19 islands have been awarded to private contractors.
The ministry has said the programme is expected to improve waste handling capacity across the country while supporting the government’s broader environmental goals through a more coordinated and efficient waste management network.
