Regulations on environment protection will be put in force within the year, Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam pledged in a televised statement on World Environment Day, observed worldwide on June 5 every year.
The regulations will allow the authorities to impose penalties on individuals and companies as well as seek compensation for actions that are harmful to the environment, he explained.
Calling on the public to take greater responsibility for protecting the environment, Aslam said efforts were underway to create an environmental council composed of civil society representatives to offer public input in the implementation of environment policy.
Speaking at a ceremony to conclude an environmental walk in Male’ on Saturday, Aslam urged the public to make walking a habit again.
The Environment Minister said the government decided to discontinue the ban on motor vehicles from 4pm to 12pm on World Environment Day this year to see how many people would abstain voluntarily, reports Voice of Maldives.
A number of government ministers, NGOs and school children participated in the walk, after which a children’s afternoon was organised at the artificial beach area.
Meanwhile, a hundred students chosen from primary schools in the capital left for Baa Atoll for field work in their environmental studies subject.
The ‘Eco-Care Nature Trip’ for the primary school students was jointly organised by Eco-Care Maldives and Soneva Fushi Resort.
An official ceremony to mark the World Environment Day also took place in Raa Atoll Dhuvafaru with Home Minister Mohamed Shihab attending as chief guest.
Over two thousand trees were planted in Dhuvafaru followed by a march across the resettled island to raise awareness on climate change.
According to the Environment Ministry, tree planting programmes are taking place in all islands with police stations, while similar activities were held throughout the country by civil society organisations.
The Youth Association of Dhaal Atoll Ribidhoo placed ten dustbins in public areas to discourage littering and keep the island clean.
Meanwhile, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) launched a pilot project to produce renewable energy from wind turbines in Kaafu Atoll Girifinolhu, a sandbank in front of military training island Girifushi that was expanded into a small island for use by the army as a picnic island.
According to MNDF engineers, two ‘Whisper 2000’ wind turbines, which come with attached solar panels and storing capacity, could generate 2000 watts of electricity with winds of up to 11 miles per hour.
A team comprising of five trained officers and 12 support staff has been formed to oversee the project.
The pilot project began after strategic level discussions prompted by the announcement by President Mohamed Nasheed that the Maldives will become the first carbon neutral country in the world, reads the statement on the MNDF website.
It adds that the army plans to undertake similar projects in other areas with high winds based on the success of the pilot project.
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