Project

Eliminating Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) through Sound Management of Chemicals

06 Nov 2020

The project aims is to reduce the risks of  Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on human health and the environment through strengthening institutional capacity and the policy and
the regulatory framework for the sound management and disposal of chemicals, POPs and wastes, and developing sustainable systems for the sound collection, labelling, storage, and disposal of hazardous chemicals and waste.

Hazardous Chemicals
What are POPs
Characteristics of POPs
Bio Accumulation
Affects of POPs 1
Affects of POPs 2
What is the World Doing About POPs
Chemical Handling
How to Read a Chemical Safety Label
Where Can You Find POPs

Project Timeline

07 Jun 2024

HAZWOPER training

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

05 May 2024

VESHI SGP SILC inception visit to AA. Thoddu

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

20 Mar 2024

Final site inspection of HWMF

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

27 Feb 2024

Monitoring of PCB Disposal Work

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.

26 Feb 2024

PCB Disposal Training in Addu

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.

27 Nov 2023

HA.Baarah HWMF Inspection Trip

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

22 Dec 2023

Transfer of PCB equipment from Fuvahmulah to Addu

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

15 Nov 2023

VESHI SGP Awarding Ceremony

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.

14 Sep 2023

Training workshop on gender and chemical management

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.

10 Aug 2023

Handover of prize for the lucky draw winner of the of the Public Perception Survey

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.

07 Aug 2023

Fourth meeting of the Project Steering Committee

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.

16 Jul 2023

Enforcement Officers Training 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 the Ministry, Maldives Customs Service, Maldives Ports Authority, Maldives Police Service and Maldives National Defense Force who are based in Addu City

12 Jul 2023

Enforcement Officers Training 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 Maldives Customs Service who are based in Kulhudhuffushi City

10 Jul 2023

Enforcement Officers Training in Male 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

10 May 2023

Contract signing of Supply and Delivery of Equipment to the Interim Hazardous Chemicals Storage Facility

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.

22 Feb 2023

PCB Inventory Inspection visit to Fuvahmulah City

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.

21 Jan 2023

Minister and GEF CEO visits the Interim Hazardous Chemicals Waste Storage Facility in Addu City

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.

13 Dec 2022

Third meeting of the Project Steering Committee

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.

03 Dec 2022

PMU monitoring visit to Interim HZW storage facility in Addu City

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

23 Nov 2022

Stakeholder Consultation Meeting regarding endorsement of the National Response Plan

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.

11 Oct 2022

Interim Hazardous Waste Storage Facility Engineering Supervisor Inception and Site Visit

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.

05 Sep 2022

Stakeholder validation workshop to present the draft Baseline Chemicals Assessment

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.

02 Aug 2022

Contract signed with Land and Marine Environmental Resource Group Pvt. Ltd for Designing and Developing a Research to Establish Baseline Levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Fish Species around Thilafushi Reef Area

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.

19 Jul 2022

Environmental and Social Management Plan Training to Contractor for Construction of Interim Hazardous Waste Storage Facility in Addu City

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.

30 Jun 2022

Training workshop on ESMF, GRM and ESMP of Eliminating POPs through Sound Management of Chemicals project.

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.

13 Jun 2022

Contract signed with Nooradheen Investment for the Establishment of Interim Storage Facility for Hazardous Wastes in Addu City

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.

09 Jun 2022

National Response Plan Stakeholder Consultation Workshop

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.

22 Mar 2022

Contract signed with Riyan Pvt. Ltd for Consultancy Services to Conduct A Baseline Assessment on National Use of Chemicals and Associated Risks

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.

19 Mar 2022

Capacity Development Workshop on GAP held in Addu City

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.

09 Feb 2022

Overarching Chemicals Management Act Stakeholder Validation Workshop

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.

07 Feb 2022

Gender Action Plan Stakeholder Validation Workshop 

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.

18 Jan 2022

Overarching Chemicals Management Act Stakeholder Consultation Workshop

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.

18 Jan 2022

Contract signed with Dhoonham for the development of Social and Environmental Safeguards framework

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.

11 Jan 2022

Stakeholder Consultation Workshop of Hazardous Chemicals and Waste Management System in Thilafushi

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.

22 Dec 2021

Second meeting of the Project Steering Committee

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.

29 Nov 2021

Contract signed with Cocreate Pvt Ltd for the Development of Gender Action Plan for Eliminating Persistent Organic Pollutants Through Sound Management of Chemicals Project

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.

23 Nov 2021

PMU field visit to Fuvahmulah and Addu City 

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.

15 Aug 2021

Contract signed with Charter Engineering Company Private Limited for Designing an Interim hazardous waste storage facility in Addu City

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.

12 Aug 2021

Stakeholder meetings to collect information to develop the overarching chemicals management bill

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

13 Jul 2021

Contract signed with International Consultant, Dr. Andrea Volpato to support the development of the Overarching Chemicals Management Act

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.

07 Jun 2021

Contract signed with Chopart Pvt. Ltd for the development of awareness material on sound management of chemicals

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.

07 Jun 2021

Contract signed with Fitchner GmbH & Co.KG (in association with Renewable Energy Maldives Pvt. Ltd) to conduct a Feasibility Study for Hazardous waste interim storage system in Thilafushi

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.

07 Jun 2021

Contract signed with Azur Chambers LLP to draft the Overarching Chemicals Management Bill

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.

05 Jun 2021

MoU Between MECCT and MoD to upgrade Makudi Portal

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

24 May 2021

Training on sample collection for FENAKA staff from Addu City and Fuvahmulah City

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

29 Apr 2021

Collection of soil samples from K. Thilafushi for analysis

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.

26 Jan 2021

PMU field visit to Addu and Fuvahmulah City

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.

09 Dec 2020

First meeting of the Project Steering Committee

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.

05 Nov 2020

Project Inception Workshop

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.

06 Feb 2020

Signing of Project Document

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.