State of the Environment report is released

Minister of Environment and Energy, Toriq Ibrahim has released the report on status of the environment of Maldives – State of the Environment 2016.

The report, released during a function held at Ministry of Environment and Energy this Thursday morning, provides information on the current status of; quality of air, fresh water layers in islands, waste management, energy and coastlines, as well as ancestry of animals living in the country.

Ministry of Environment and Energy previously compiled State of the Environment reports in 1994, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2011.

Speaking during the function held to release the report, Minister Toriq noted that Maldives was a small island nation heavily dependent on the environment of the country. He said that the economic and social wellbeing, as well as lifestyle of the people of Maldives was dependent on the environment.

“This administration acknowledges and appreciates the vital role environment plays in national development. This administration is doing all it can to protect and conserve the environment,” said Toriq.

He said that collecting and assessing sure and good quality information status of Maldivian environment was both useful and vital in order to compile effective environmental policies.

Toriq said the current administration was doing everything necessary to increase expertise and develop human resources and making methods of reporting environmental status more efficient.

“This will be a huge boost to our efforts to ensure the policies we enforce are decisions made based on science and research,” he said.

Toriq said the State of Environment 2016 will provide the most up-to-date information of the environment of Maldives, and changes to it.