The Ministry and the Ministry of Health (MoH) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen healthcare waste management infrastructure and address pollution from healthcare activities. As part of this collaboration, MCCEE transferred the Baarah Medical Waste Handling Facility to the MoH and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) equipment to the National Health Laboratory. This partnership promotes sustainable and safe medical waste management, supporting the Maldives' commitments under the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions and aligning with local environmental and health regulations.

Stakeholder consultations were conducted to develop standard operating procedures for the Addu City interim hazardous chemicals and waste storage facility. The discussions were led by the consultant assigned to this work, fostering collaboration and input from relevant stakeholders involved in hazardous chemicals and waste management.
Following the stakeholder consultations, the consultant and the Project Management Unit (PMU) visited the interim hazardous chemicals and waste storage facility in Addu City and met with the Addu City Council.

34 officials involved in management & control of hazardous chemicals & wastes from various stakeholder institutions participated in a 3-day Study Visit to the Pollution Control Department (PCD), Thailand. Site visits during this trip included visits to PCD as well as the Laem Chabang Port Customs Office, Waste Management Siam Facility, Thai Customs intelligence and the Bangkok Port. Participants were given demonstrations on how regulations and procedures on the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and chemicals are implemented in alignment with the Basel convention, as well as demonstrations on container inspections at Bangkok Port where e-waste misdeclaration cases are detected and managed, reinforcing the Basel Convention enforcement.

A 2-day Training of Trainers on the Gender Action Plan and Gender & Chemical Risks Considerations was conducted for the projects of the VESHI SGP. During the training, participants were introduced to tools and methods for integrating gender perspectives with a special focus on chemical risk considerations. They also gained insight into practical ways to mainstream gender equality throughout the project cycle.

A team from the Ministry and the POPs PMU visited R. Vandhoo to conduct a site inspection for the establishment of an Interim Hazardous Chemicals and Waste Facility (IHCWF).

Facilitators of the HAZWOPER training, Mr. Ilias Avramikos and Mr.Kyriakos Chomatas from Polyeco, Mauritius conducted a site visit to the Interim Facility in Addu City

Training on Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) was conducted with the objective of building stakeholder capacity on Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response guidelines and procedures. 44 participants from 12 stakeholder institutions completed the training

The Small Island Conservancy (SILC), recipient of the VESHI - Small Grant Project, conducted its inception visit to AA. Thoddu. Their project “Thoddu Agrosafe” focuses on agro-chemicals governance and responsible operations for sustainable agriculture on Thoddu with farmer empowerment, with the target outcome of implementing a system for management of agro-chemical waste and establish a monitoring system for compliance.

During the visit, the team met the members of the Thoddu Island Council and the Women’s Development Committee and briefed them about the project, its objectives and target outcomes. The team also visited the farmlands of Thoddu during this visit

The PMU and Ministry's Engineer conducted the final site inspection of the Healthcare Waste Management Facility (HWMF) in HA. Baarah

Veolia ES Field Services Limited carried out the safe drainage, packing, and transportation of 24 tonnes of potentially PCB contaminated transformers and switchgears. These equipment are being sent to Belgium to a hazardous waste management facility for their environmentally safe disposal.

Training on PCB waste handling and disposal was conducted for 30 industry related workers in Addu City. This training included components on personal protective equipment, safeguarding process and procedures, transport of hazardous materials, and spill and emergency responses. Participants also engaged in practical sessions focusing on application of the topics covered in the training.

An interim inspection trip to the Healthcare Waste Management Facility (HWMF) in HA. Baarah was conducted with the Ministry's Engineer to assess the construction progress and quality of work. During this trip, changes were brought to the building as per the recommendations of the engineer

17 decommissioned switchgears and 14 decommissioned transformers were safely transported from various locations in Fuvahmulah to Addu Interim Hazardous Waste Storage Facility for safe storage until their exportation out of Maldives for safe disposal

During this ceremony, seven projects under the Valuing the Environment through Sustainable and Holistic Initiatives (VESHI) Small Grant Program (SGP) dedicated to managing hazardous chemicals in the Maldives were awarded. Each project tackled different environmental challenges such as air pollution, electronic waste, and sustainable agriculture, receiving grants ranging from MVR 700,000 to 750,000. The ceremony brought together project representatives to emphasize the importance of environmental stewardship and collaboration for sustainable development.

The training workshop was aimed at understanding the complex relationship between chemical exposure and gender-specific impacts. Participants in this workshop included representatives from government institutions, NGOs, private institutions, and state-owned enterprises.

The 2023 Hazardous Chemicals and Waste Perception Survey aimed to collect community insights on environmental issues related to hazardous chemicals and waste. Open to all Maldivians and expatriates from June 5th to June 30th, the survey included a Likert scale and multiple-choice questions. The findings of this survey contribute to shape relevant policies and action.

The combined Steering Committee Meeting opened with welcoming remarks by Permanent Secretary Ajwad Musthafa and UNDP, followed by introductions. Project Manager Hassan Azhar outlined the objectives and progress of ongoing projects, including updates on the POPs and ISLANDS Projects. Audit findings and the revised 2023 budget for the POPs Project were presented and endorsed. The meeting concluded with a summary of discussions, action points, and closing remarks.

Capacity building workshop on identification, prevention of illegal import of POPs, and hazardous wastes and safe handling was conducted for enforcement officers of the Ministry, Maldives Customs Service, Maldives Ports Authority, Maldives Police Service and Maldives National Defense Force who are based in Addu City

Capacity building workshop on identification, prevention of illegal import of POPs, and hazardous wastes and safe handling was conducted for enforcement officers of Maldives Customs Service who are based in Kulhudhuffushi City

Capacity building workshop on identification, prevention of illegal import of POPs, and hazardous wastes and safe handling was conducted for enforcement officers of the Ministry, Maldives Customs Service, Maldives Police Service, Environment Protection Authority, Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture who are based in Male’ City

Under this contract, the contractor will supply the necessary equipment for the operation of the Interim Hazardous Chemicals Storage Facility. This includes chemical storage units, handling equipment, and personal protective equipment for personnel.

Inventory of the equipment was updated prior to the transfer of potentially PCB contaminated equipment in Fuvahmulah to the Interim Hazardous Chemicals Storage Facility in Addu City. Details such as the weight of the equipment, the extent of potentially contaminated soil, and the locations of the equipment were also updated during this trip.

Minister Aminath Shauna and CEO of the GEF, Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez visited the Interim Hazardous Chemicals Waste Storage Facility in Addu City to inspect the ongoing construction process. During his visit, he reviewed the site’s progress, discussed safety protocols, and engaged with the construction team to ensure the facility meets the highest standards for hazardous waste management.

The objectives of this steering committee meeting were to approve the annual workplan for the year 2023 and the revised project targets. The project implementation progress, findings and recommendations of the mid-term review was also shared with the members of the steering committee.

PMU conducted a monitoring visit to the Interim HZW storage facility in Addu City following the completion of the masonry works.

The purpose of the meeting was to present the NRP for chemical spills, fires, and poisoning to project stakeholders and to gather feedback and comments before preparing a cabinet paper for NRP endorsement. This plan outlines the policies and procedures the Government will follow in the event of such emergencies.

The purpose of the inception meeting was to introduce the consultant to the Contractor and to brief the Consultant on the project progress. The meeting was attended by the Project team and the Project's Department of the Addu City Council.

The purpose of the meeting was to present the National Response Plan (NRP) for Chemical Spills, Fires, and Poisoning to project stakeholders and to gather feedback and comments.

The main objective of this consultancy with Land and Marine Environmental Resource Group Pvt. Ltd (LAMER) is to collect samples of lagoon sediments and fish in Thilafushi reef area and to develop a research report to identify the level of POPs in lagoon sediments and fish species.

This training was attended by 2 representatives from the Interim Hazardous Waste Storage Facility in Addu City. In this training, the contractor was trained on various aspects of the ESMP such as labor management, procurement and management of construction material, site management, utility services, general construction works and demobilization and handover process.

25 participants from various government institutions, civil society organizations, and contractors attended the training, along with representatives from several NGOs. The project’s Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), and Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) were presented, with a particular focus on project activities in Addu City. These activities include the establishment of the Interim Hazardous Waste Storage Facility and the disposal of potentially PCB-containing equipment in both Addu and Fuvahmulah City.

The training session was inaugurated by a welcome remark from Mr. Hassan Azhar, Project Manager. The underlying objective of the workshop was to orientate and inform the project stakeholders in Addu City regarding the ESMF and GRM of the project. Furthermore, the training was used to orientate the stakeholders on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in the Maldives.

This contract was awarded for the construction of the Interim Storage Facility for Hazardous Wastes in Addu City. This facility will be utilized for short term storage of hazardous chemicals and wastes generated in the region.

The Workshop was held to gather the thoughts, proposals, and actions of the various agencies & stakeholders on shaping the Maldives National Response Plan (NRP) into a coherent, practical and ‘fit for purpose’ document for chemical spills, fires and poisoning.

The main objective of this consultancy is to conduct a national baseline assessment on the use of chemicals and its associated risks. This assessment will act as a referential source to analyze the trends in the usage of chemicals and associated risks in all major industries in the Maldives as a result of the project activities interventions.

Training of Trainers workshop held for stakeholders from Fuvahmulah and Addu City. 39 individuals participated in this training workshop which was held to give information on the project GAP.

The purpose of this workshop was to present the second draft of the Chemicals Management Bill to relevant stakeholders, gather feedback, comments, and suggestions to the second draft of the bill from stakeholders and to discuss the comments received to the first draft of the bill, and to gather feedback from stakeholders on the comments.

After conducting several stakeholder consultations, a draft of the revised Gender Action Plan (GAP) was presented to the stakeholders in a validation workshop. A participatory consultative approach was adopted to review the implementation framework, specific strategic and monitoring indicators of the GAP.

The purpose of this workshop was to present the first draft of the Hazardous Chemicals Management Bill to relevant stakeholders, gather feedback, comments, and suggestions on the first draft of the bill from stakeholders and to introduce stakeholders to next steps of the project.

Coordinate and manage the implementation of the project safeguards in compliance to Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, GEF and UNDP procedures, develop and monitor the implementation of the project Grievance Redress Mechanism and complaints register, capacity development and training of the project management unit (PMU) and stakeholder safeguards as well as the safeguards monitoring and reporting systems.

The objective of this meeting was to present the draft feasibility report to establish a hazardous chemicals and waste management system in the Greater Male’ Region.

This meeting was attended by various project stakeholder and was joined by Andrea Fuchs, Erich Oesterle (consultant) and Dr. Ibrahim Nashid (sub-consultant) to present their initial findings.

The meeting was opened by the chair State Minister Dr Abdulla Naseer. In his welcoming remarks, Dr Naseer noted the importance of sound management of chemicals, especially considering their widespread usage across various industries. He also noted that the project focuses on establishing necessary regulatory and policy framework for the sound management and disposal of chemicals and waste and establishing systems for proper life cycle management of chemicals. Despite the challenges the project faced over the year, in particular, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and procurement delays, the chair mentioned that the project has seen considerable success during the year including the formulation of draft Overarching Chemicals Management bill; draft feasibility study for establishing a waste management system in K. Thilafushi; design of the interim storage facility for hazardous wastes in Addu City.

During this meeting, project activities progress of year 2021 was presented to the committee members. The project workplan for the 2022 was then presented and approved by the PSC.

The main objective of the consultancy is to review and update the project’s Gender Action Plan and support capacity development to ensure gender is mainstreamed in the project implementation.

The purpose of this visit was to brief the stakeholders on the disposal of PCB and to discuss documenting the storage of potentially PCB contaminated equipment.

In this manner, the PMU team met with the Fuvahmulah City Council, Addu City Council and the Fenaka Fuvahmulah and S. Hithadhoo branch.

The objective of this consultancy is to prepare detailed drawing set for the interim hazardous chemicals and waste storage facility planned to be established in Addu City.

The initial round of stakeholder meetings were conducted with all key stakeholders to get information on current legislations and procedures in place for management of chemicals. The challenges associated with chemicals management were also identified so that they may be addresses in the draft bill

The main objective of this international consultancy was to provide technical guidance to the legal firm and the Project Management Unit in developing the legislative framework for the environmentally sound management of chemicals in the Maldives.

The objective of this consultancy is to develop communications/awareness raising materials on sound management of chemicals, targeting policy makers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), private sector entities managing hazardous wastes and recyclers, civil society organizations and the general public. This includes materials on all related work carried out through the project including capturing, documenting, designing and developing of materials for information and data collected, progress of project activities and reporting in a results-based and timely manner for the Government, Donors, and Project Implementation partner purposes.

The feasibility study aims at exploring the possibility of establishment and sustainable operation of a central interim storage covering handling, separation, collection, packaging, labelling, transportation and storage of hazardous waste and chemicals.

The main objective of this consultancy was to develop a legislative framework for the environmentally sound management of chemicals and ensure that chemicals management aspects especially POPs are properly addressed and sufficiently defined in the regulation, including provisions for the life cycle chemicals management.

The main objective of this activity is to provide hardware and software support for upgrading the current Makudi Portal established at Ministry of Defense (MoD); this MOU is concerned with the hardware support part of this activity

Online trainings were conducted for FENAKA staff on standard procedure to follow when collecting soil samples for testing.

Soil samples were collected from 3 areas in K. Thilafushi to test for level of PCB and other hazardous substances in the soil. The samples were analyzed from a Turkish Laboratory and the findings were shared with senior officials of the Ministry.

The purpose of this trip was to identify potentially Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contaminated equipment. The Project Management Unit (PMU) met with officials from Fuvahmulah City Council and staff from FENAKA Hithadhoo branch to share information on the work carried out under the project.

The meeting was opened by the chair State Minister, Dr Abdulla Naseer. In his welcoming remarks, Dr Naseer noted the adverse effects of POPs on human health, wildlife and the environment and the importance of their sound management.

Resident Representative, Maldives Country, UNDP, Ms Akiko Fujii, in her opening remarks underlined the issue in global context. Having worked in seven different countries in the past 20 years, she pointed out that all of them had challenges in the sound management of chemicals. She further stressed that POPs are highly persistent compounds that pose carcinogenic risks on human health and detrimental effects on the environment. She also mentioned that chemicals and waste management is intricately linked with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) such as SDG 3 on health, SDG 6 on sanitation, SDG 12 on sustainable production and responsible consumption, etc.

During this meeting, the committee members were introduced to the project activities and responsibilities of the Project Steering Committee (PSC). The project workplan for the year 2020 and 2021 was then presented and approved by the PSC.

The workshop was attended by 26 participants, representing different ministries and government agencies relevant to the project. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Maldives, Ms. Vera Hakim, followed by opening remarks by Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Dr Abdulla Naseer.

In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Vera Hakim said that the sound management of chemicals and their wastes was not only a pressing environmental concern for the Maldives, but also stressed that it is one of the greatest developmental challenges faced globally. She added that the United Nations Development Programme promotes the sound management of chemicals as an important aspect of its work to reduce global poverty, promote human health and help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. She thanked the Ministry for the priority that it places on creating a cleaner and safer environment for all Maldivians.

Abdulla Naseer welcomed all participations to the inception workshop. In his remarks, Dr. Naseer noted that Maldives lacks capacity for the sound management of Persistent Organic Pollutants, hazardous chemicals and hazardous wastes and the absence of locally appropriate technology and equipment for their sound management.

Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Technology (MECCT) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project entitled “Eliminating Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) through Sound Management of Chemicals”. During the signing ceremony, the Ministry, reaffirmed its commitment to address the challenges associated with the management of hazardous wastes and chemicals within the country. As the unsafe disposal of chemicals and electronic wastes continues unabated, and their imports continue to grow, the Ministry has made it a priority to take steps to mitigate the risks posed by such substances.

The main objective of this project is to reduce or eliminate the use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and its unintentional production. Through capacity strengthening and the formulation of a national regulatory framework, the project will provide a nationally effective and environmentally sound system to manage POPs in addition to other hazardous chemicals.