Maldives opens new landmark clean water system

The President of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, opened a new Integrated Water Supply System on Wednesday in a move to protect freshwater resources.

The new system will harness rainwater harvesting and seawater desalination to protect Thoddoo Island's freshwater resources from overexploitation.

It is expected to provide an annual mean rainwater supply of 8,619 m3 to the 2,000 inhabitants of the island, reducing the extraction of scarce groundwater resources.

Like other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) the Maldives is facing the challenge of a growing population with a limited supply of drinking water.

Residents of the Maldives depend mainly on rainwater and groundwater aquifers which have been seriously threatened by contamination from wastewater and chemicals from agriculture.

A variety of methods have been used in the agriculture industry including mixing fertilizers in the island's shallow wells and pumping the water for irrigation, resulting in high salinity and pollution levels.

As part of the initiative to install the new system, there will be a joint effort by the UN and the Maldives to educate residents about best practise in relation to freshwater resources and raise awareness of sustainable agricultural methods.

The new system was developed as part of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) demonstration project led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The Maldives government covered about 70 per cent of the costs of the project, amounting to $1 million.