Muli is one of the 9 inhabited islands in Meemu atoll in the central Maldives. Like almost all island of Maldives, the Muli island is also vulnerable to environmental and economic development variables such as waste management, rising sea level, coastal erosion, pollution/depletion of groundwater. Traditionally, food waste is generally disposed to the shoreline while other organic waste was burnt in open fire and were seen as manageable in the context of a small community. However, with increased population and economic development activities associated with the island, the traditional waste management practices have become environmentally unsustainable.
The current waste management area in Muli was established in 2015, with an area of 0.24ha as Island Waste and Resource Management Centre (IWRMC), to manage island specific waste. Initially, the council did collect kitchen waste from the households with a charge of MVR 100 per month. However, due to financial constraints the council ceased its services to collect waste from household in 2018. The services were again resumed in 2019 with additional resources and a new fee structure. Kitchen waste was also collected and was outsourced to a private company for it to be disposed into deep sea.
Ministry of Environment, being the proponent of the project, through the Maldives Clean Environment Project (MCEP) intends to establish a full- fledged IWRMC and facilitate piloting of Anaerobic digestion (AD) as a means of treating organic waste generated in the island. The project involves construction of a 1.5-ton AD plant within the boundary of the existing IWRMC and undertaking additional civil work to upgrade the IWRMC. This decision was based on the findings of the technical and financial feasibility study for the establishment of a regional solid waste management system in Zone 4&5 (CITRES & MEECO, 2019).
The project will include construction of new infrastructure inclusive of an organic waste processing area. Once the infrastructure is in place, an anaerobic digestor plant will be set up at the facility to facilitate treatment of the organic waste. Upon completion of the project, the operations of the facility will be handed over to the Island Council. Training needs for the proper operation of the facility will be identified through the assessment and will also be incorporated into the report.
Source: LAMER Group (2021). Environmental and Social Management Plan for the upgrading of Island Waste and
