Tag: Environment

New mobile towers cut power consumption in half, claims telco

The Maldives “need not return to the stone age” and neglect creature comforts for the sake of the environment, Maldives’ Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam has said, and should instead find alternative ways to continue enjoying technological developments.

Certain environmental groups remain skeptical of the true effectiveness of green business developments, even in the tourism sector where restrictions on developers are more comprehensive, however Aslam said he believed the Maldives had nonetheless taken a “bold step” in its own commitment to sustainable practices over the remaning decade.

Aslam made the claims while speaking at the launch of a new ‘green’ mobile tower by Wataniya, one of the country’s two telecos, at the Adaraan Hudhuranfushi resort on Saturday afternoon.

Wataniya claims the new Single Radio Access Network (RAN) tower provides more sustainable and operationally-efficient mobile phone and data coverage, albeit at a significantly higher cost of acquisition.

According to the company, the first tower installed will cover a 60 kilometre radius around Hudhuranfushi at a 54 percent reduction in total power consumption and 80 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to existing installed technology, and could be easily upgraded to handle upcoming 4G developments with the addition of a single card. It also claims the smaller size of the tower – essentially a single metal pole anchored to a concrete footprint the size of an office chair, makes it more attractive for roll-out on resort islands concerned about the visual impact of a conventional lattice structure mobile tower.

Aslam, speaking at the resort during the launch, told media that the support of foreign corporations such as Wataniya that had invested in the Maldives was a key part of the Maldives’ meeting its carbon neutral commitment by by 2020. Although details of how the country can efficiently meet its 2020 target remain elusive beyond broad political support for investment in green technology and renewable energy, President Mohamed Nasheed said last year that failure to meet the goals would be a “disaster” for the country in ensuring long-term stability both economically and geologically.

Despite the adoption of the new technology at Adaaran’s Hudhuranfushi resort, Ali Rilwan, Executive Director of local environmental NGO Bluepeace told Minivan News that he believed that the Maldives’ tourist resorts’ general commitment to effective sustainable practices was not limited to green technology and day-to-day issues like waste management.

Rilwan claimed that although tourist regulations did tend to be stricter in regards to the amount of natural land being developed and not allowing buildings to tower over an island’s tallest trees, other viable development areas included solar and renewable energy technologies.

“I think very few resorts are taking responsibility. Waste management is another vital area and only a few resorts have sewage treatment plants rather than pumping it into the ocean,” he said. “Some [resorts] are also not disposing of their garbage correctly either so they hire local boats to transport garbage to the island of Thilafushi.  In some cases management may be unaware that some boats travel just a few hours off shore and then dump trash in the sea without travelling all the way to Thilafushi.”

Despite his concerns Rilwan said that he saw developments such as those taken by Wataniya to introduce more energy efficient equipment like the RAN towers as a “good move” to cut environmental impact, although he believed the company’s spending on sustainable developments could be widened to a number of areas.

He pointed to telecommunications companies fully replacing plastic cards used by customers to recharge their mobile phone credit or looking at alternatives to spending on billboard advertising and promotions and simpler activities like planting more trees.

“Each resort is required to be working on projects like planting trees,” he said. “These companies could instead use their funding to do very visible commitments like plant coconut trees around islands.”

Perhaps more unlikely, Rilwan stated that Wataniya and its competitors such as Dhiraagu could also consider sharing and maintaining telecommunication commitment together to try and cut down on the space and energy requirements in supplying separate services to Maldivian customers.

With local councils elected into office in February, Rilwan said that he expected more visible measures and local projects to be managed to help local islands in boosting their sustainability.

Speaking to Minivan News in October, environmental organisation Greenpeace said it believed the Maldives acted more as a symbol than a practical demonstration of how national development and fighting climate change can be mutually exclusive.

Wendel Trio, the organisation’s Climate Policy and Global Deal Coordinator, said he believed that the Maldives could nonetheless play an iconic role in promoting the potential benefits of adopting alternate energy programmes.

“By coupling both strong words and the need for the big emitting countries in the developed and the developing world to reduce their emissions sharply, with a strong commitment at home, the Maldives has also gained respect,” Trio explained to Minivan News. “However, obviously none of the big emitting countries are looking at the Maldives as an example, as they all claim that their social and economic development cannot be compared to that of a small island state.”

He accepted that the country was somewhat limited by its size but said it could have play a role in advocating for more sustainable business and lifestyle practices.

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Letter of Spanish support

Dear People of Maldives,

My name is David González and I am a student of teacher training in the Barcelona University in Spain. When I do not have anything to study or homework to do, I write in my blog called “El Internacional” whose subject matter are the current International notices.

Well, when I saw the speeches of the representatives of your country and the Tuvalu’s one in the Copenhagen’s conference I was shocked. The tears of Ian Fry and the words of President Nasheed in the UN Assembly were terrifying. What were we doing? Our Eastern brothers can be the Atlantis of the XXIst century and we do not do anything to avoid such awful end?

I wrote an article in my blog to attempt to show what is happening in your country and in Tuvalu. The mass media only look at Libya and Japan but the Maldives’ issue continues being an important topic that must not be forgotten.

In addition, that is why I am writing in this newspaper, because I think it is important that the Maldivians knew they have fully support of, at least, one person in Spain.

Nothing else, thank you for giving me the chance to write here and please, continue fighting and defending your land, Maldives is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it would be a shame that it disappears under the water of the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, I will continue my crusade to make people aware that some insular nations can be sunk in few years if we do not stop the global warming.

David González

All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write a letter, please submit it to [email protected]

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JCI president optimistic over Maldives development awareness following visit

The President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) has claimed that humanity is in a unique position for the first time in its history to be able to overcome development challenges and other restrictions on “Human Security” that may have been previously beyond its collective abilities.

The claims were made JCI World President Kentaro Harada following his visit to the Maldives last week to look at the organisation’s involvement in local development projects.

The JCI, an NGO which describes itself as a UN-affiliated network of young people and entrepreneurs in their 20s and 30s, claims to have over a quarter of a million members worldwide that work to collaborate on community development projects in their respective countries.

Harada said he believed that the country’s work and awareness of global development projects in fields such as the environment reflected the wider international acceptance and improved technical knowhow for overcoming challenges that once seemed insurmountable – even a few decades ago.

“We can all begin working together with small and medium enterprises in order to find solutions to major development goals,” he said. “There is a very high mountain to climb, but we can achieve this I am sure.”

The JCI president said that while showing such optimism in the 19th or 20th century may have seen him derided as a “crazy person”, he believed that there was a much greater acceptance today of the role young people and enterprises could play in working towards meeting goals outlined by organisations like the United Nations.

Maldives visit

Harada himself spent two days in the Maldives last week as part of a wider tour of JCI member nations during 2011, having already visited 13 countries since New Year. He used his Maldivian visit to view initiatives such as education and environment programmes that were being managed locally.

Visiting certain projects along with JCI Maldives President, Shaneez Saeed, Harada said that he had been pleasantly surprised during a school visit by statistics that claim 40 per cent of the Maldivian students were aware of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

“In most countries, around just one percent of the similar population know these goals,” he said.

Rather than a spot of last minute revision, Harada believed that the Maldives’ apparent success in detailing the eight UN objectives, based around attempts to try and globally cut poverty and hunger, combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, improve child health and universal education and ensuring gender equality, all stemmed from concerns about the country’s long-term geographic stability.

“The main reason I believe [that these goals are commonly known in the Maldives] is down to environmental sustainability,” he said. “I remember breaking news all over the world of your government having underwater meetings. It is the efforts of groups and business working to these goals that have made these objectives well known.”

Although the JCI aims to work with business and organisations at local level to try and encourage various development programmes, the organisation claimed that the growing ease of connecting with others through social networking and the internet made communication about development challenges much easier.

Despite upholding differences between countries like the Maldives and Harada’s native Japan in terms of cultural identity, the NGO’s president said he still believed that it was vital for groups like the JCI to help try and foster mutual understanding between different nations and communities.

Shaneez Saeed, who heads the work of the JCI in the Maldives, told Minivan News following last week’s visit how training schemes brought to the country from other nations were highlighting possibilities for mutal understanding.

Saeed, used the example of a training programme held this month where parents were being encouraged to listen more to the views of children as successful examples of overturning nationally held beliefs.

Harada conceded that despite his overall optimism for global development initiatives such as those promoted by the JCI, there was significant work required to improve human security both nationally and internationally to ensure that everyone was able to have a “daily peaceful life”.

“This is true not only in the Maldives, but in Asia, Africa and all over the world. We cannot ignore that awful things happening in this world that require attention,” he said. “Since the end of the cold war, we have seen national governments trying to evade human rights.”

Nonetheless, Harada claimed that governments, businesses and everyday citizens had unprecedented opportunities to achieve significant steps forward in human development globally.

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Government rejects NGO’s ecocriticism amidst Banyan tree protest

The government has rejected criticisms by local NGO Ecocare Maldives that it may be failing to meet its well publicised carbon neutral commitments by not maintaining and replanting trees and plant life across Male’ that is removed or cut back to make way for building developments.

Maldives Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam told Minivan News that criticisms claiming the government was removing entire trees from the capital without replacing them were completely “baseless” and that any significant plant life making way for construction would be “replanted” elsewhere in Male’.

The claims were made as a small protest was held today outside of Aminiya school on Chandhanee Magu regarding the removal of entire trees and plans to remove some branches from a prominent Banyan tree situated on a new construction site opposite the building.

Ahmed Shiham, a volunteer staff member for Ecocare representing the NGO at the protest, said the group had only been made aware in the morning by the President’s Office that a number of branches from the Banyan tree were set to be removed along with other plant life at the site.

According to Shiham, although the construction will mean that Banyan tree would remain in place after the removal of two or three of its branches, Ecocare was concerned that another green patch in the densely populated urban environs of Male’ was being removed.

Officials from the NGO claim that the removal and cutting of the trees through the construction, which was being undertaken by subcontractors said to be working for the country’s Ministry of Education, was a contradiction to the commitments of President Mohamed Nasheed in promoting carbon neutral development.

With the Banyan Tree in question under 50 years of age, it does not come under the protection of environmental development regulations – although the government has stressed that it is committed to keeping the tree where it stands.

However, Shiham claimed that Ecocare was concerned that the country’s Environment Ministry has cancelled planting programmes that would bring in additional plant life from other countries in the region to be housed in Male’.

“What we want is for these trees to be replaced; green for green as we would call it. This would be good for the president’s carbon neutral commitments after all,” he said. “But we believe the government is not giving a budget for this.”

Ecocare officials said that in other nations, carbon certification schemes such as offsetting were being used whereby trees were replanted in other locations to reduce the impact on the atmosphere that their removal would have on the environment and the air we breathe.

Along with environmental concerns, Shiham also raised questioned the impact that the removal of some of the Banyan tree’s branches may have on balancing and supporting the plant itself – leading to possible safety hazards for people and buildings in the vicinity.

“Tomorrow building work is expected to begin on the site and the tree could be imbalanced,” he added.

Ecocare’s claims were nonetheless derided by Environment Minister Aslam, who questioned the criticisms that he believed showed a “lack of knowledge” or understanding about maintaining trees and ensuring they remain stable.

“If we have to cut off branches, I’m sure that [cutting] will happen” the minister said. “But we will treat the tree and clean it. We will protect it. This is living in harmony with nature without forgetting human factors.”

Aslam claimed that the government would also be meeting its commitments to replant any trees moved to make way for the development, though he said this would not apply in the case of the Banyan tree, which was just going to have some branches removed to accommodate construction.

Although Ecocare and the ministry were unsure of just how old the Banyan tree outside of the school was, both believed it was under fifty years of age, an age that would require it to be protected under the country’s environmental laws.

“I know it was definitely not fifty years old as I remember the tree being 30 centimetres or so high when I was in kindergarten [in the area],” he said. “I am now 40, so it is of similar age.”

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Speaker calls on Majlis to speed up legislative duties as president opens parliament

As the People’s Majlis today reconvened for the first time in 2011, the Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid called on MPs to speed up the rate in which they worked to pass legislation with a very “busy” session ahead.

Shahid’s comments were made after President Mohamed Nasheed opened the year’s first parliamentary session with an address to MPs on the current state of national finances and developments.

Nasheed used his annual address in order to play up what he saw as “marked improvements“ in various national sectors, as well as warning of the need for further national budget cuts and unity amongst MPs in relation to recently formed local councils over the year ahead.

“The most important accomplishment is the establishment of local councils. Obviously, there are obstacles in the management of some of these councils,” Nasheed said during his opening remarks. “The government’s aim is to solve these complications in introducing decentralisation in a manner that does not compromise the features of a unitary state stipulated in the Constitution.”

The Presidential Address is required under the constitution to be given during the first meeting of the Majlis each year.

Nasheed claimed in the speech that he hoped that competitive parties would “not deliberately participate” in trying to sabotage the role of local councils, in reference to disputes over the location of some Atoll Council offices this week.

Speaking to Minivan News after the address, Abdulla Shahid, the Parliamentary Speaker and MP for the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) said that today’s meeting of the Majlis was solely for delivery of the Presidential address. He added that no administrative duties were therefore carried out at the sitting.

Shahid claimed that DRP leader Ahmed Ali Thasmeen – as the head of the country’s largest political opposition – would be providing the response of his party to the president’s speech within 14 days as allowed under law.

However, in reflecting on the work ahead for Parliament when it meets next on 8 March, Shahid claimed that vital bills related to the country’s Penal Code and judiciary were among key early acts that he hoped to see passed within the Majlis.

Yet, the agenda for the next Majlis sitting expected to be unveiled within the next 24 hours, Shahid claimed that parliament had a full schedule ahead on the back of what he called a busy session last year.

As such, the parliamentary speaker added that parliament needed to speed up its work rate in the year ahead and could not afford to relax while a number of important bills had yet to be passed.

Shahid accepted however that there were challenges in passing laws, particularly in translating bills from their original English form, made in consultation with “overseas experts”, into Dhivehi to gain approval through the Majlis.

“When we look at the original English documents [of bills] they make a lot of sense,” he said. “Sometimes it is when these documents are translated into Dhivehi that they don’t always make much sense. There is a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Speaker encouragement

However, the speaker claimed that he was encouraged by the work of the parliament during 2010, despite partisan infighting that led to the resignation of the country’s cabinet at protest at so-called scorched earth politics adopted by some MPs.

“The amount of work concluded by parliament last year is quite remarkable,” Shahid claimed. “The passing of 42 bills out of a total of 52 that were submitted was quite good I think.”

The sentiments appeared to be shared by President Nasheed who believed the Majlis has helped bring about a number of improvements for infrastructure and development in the country despite overall differences.

“2010 was a year of achievement in many areas,” he said, during the speech.

Economy

Taking the economy as an example of the developments, the president claimed that after the previous budget was delivered back in December 2009, the country’s financial deficit was about Rf3.8 billion – amounting to 18.7 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Nasheed said that despite expenditure being higher than revenue on the back of recent budget cuts, the deficit as of the latest budget delivered in December 2010 was down 2.3 percent to 16.4 percent of total nationa GDP, amounting to Rf3.1 billion.

“By the end of 2010, the income revenue of the government amounted to Rf6 billion.” he said. “By 2010, the government had estimated recurrent revenue of Rf9.1 billion.”

While continuing to address financial developments, Nasheed said that the government would also aim to try and increase the value of Maldivian currency by strengthening existing monetary regulations.

“Additionally, we need long and mid-term measures for effective solutions to the economic infrastructure. According to the Strategic Action Plan, recurrent expenses and income are required to be kept in line with national income,” he said. “The government had made several efforts to achieve this target, including corporatising and privatising government services.”

In addressing the passing last year of taxation structures such as a Business Profit Tax and a Maldives Tourism Goods and Services Tax (GST), the president thanked parliament for supporting these bills.

Nasheed claimed in addition that small and medium enterprises would also continue to receive financial assistance from the government under a programme of soft loans and other financial packages designed to try and compliment schemes like business development centres.

These development centres – set up in Kulhudhuhfushi and Hithadhoo – were designed to offer training in fishing, guest houses, handicraft and agricultural training amongst other disciplines.

“Important steps taken to eliminate obstacles facing those wishing to start a business, include enabling vital information, trade licenses and permissions to be submitted and received via the Internet,” Nasheed claimed in the speech. “These will be facilitated this year.”

Agriculture

In areas such as agriculture the president said that the government was focusing on a number of regulations outlining new guidelines for catch and exporting products aimed at improving the income within the fisheries sector.

“Last year, much work was also done to develop agriculture in the Maldives. In this regard, agricultural products of 3 islands were brought out to the market, by contracting tourist resorts and food supply companies,” he said. “Moreover, efforts were made to raise the prices of poultry farming and agricultural yield through the production and marketing of locally produced goods. In addition, Rf1.7m worth of goods were made available to farmers at reasonable rates and 1,932 farmers were trained in various aspects of agriculture.“

The president claimed that this focus had also allowed for the establishment of subsidies totaling about Rf50m in order to allow 25 islands to be sufficiently capable of regularly marketing produce grown there. The focus was also expected to be backed by an Agricultural School in Laamu Atoll Gan, according to Nasheed.

Tourism

In addressing plans for the country’s tourism sector, Laamu Atoll was also highlighted as a zone that would be developed to additionally host three to four star resort properties as part of stated aims to cater for more middle-market tourism.

The president also focused on national developments in the form of land reclamation and the construction of a number of airports that were started during the previous year.

“This would introduce even greater opportunities to all the islands in the region, and multiply economic activities,” he said. “The construction of an airport in Fuvahmulah is underway and the airport in Baa Atoll Dharavandhoo is likely to reach the stage of completion by the end of 2012.”

Developments at Gan International Airport were also touched upon in the speech in relation to a local joint venture between the existing site’s management, the State Trading Organization (STO) and the Maldives Airports Company. The president expressed hope that the partnership would lead to a boost in services in and out of Addu Atoll.

Transport

The issue of transport networks was also raised during the speech, with Nasheed stating that modernisation of transport systems between the country’s numerous islands and atolls was still being planned as a vital development challenge for Maldivians.

Infrastructure

Among planned infrastructure developments, the president claimed that the government remained committed to pledges to try and provide sewerage and drinking water, along with affordable housing wider to wider numbers of the population.

“We have commenced the project of building a total of 10,000 housing units, of which 4,150 have been contracted and 1,750 of which are currently under construction,” he said. “In order to resolve the issues of congestion and lack of housing in Male’, under the first phase of Veshifahi Male’ programme, application forms are being issued for those wishing for housing. The second phase of the Gulhifalhu Project is underway and the reclamation of the 50-hectare land is scheduled to begin next month.”

A further 298 housing units were also said to be in the course of being supplied to people in areas such as Gaaf alif Atoll who still required shelter following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Environment

Alongside these infrastructure developments, the president also used his speech to touch upon the environmental programmes that he had been a vocal campaigner of internationally – such as the Maldives becoming a carbon neutral nation by 2020.

“Various efforts were exerted by the government last year to transform the Maldives into a carbon-neutral nation. In this regard, auditing of carbon present in the Maldives and the measure of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere were identified,” he claimed. “It is highly essential that we embrace renewable energy and diversify sources and techniques used to generate renewable energy. The environmental changes instigated by the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are directly linked to the life of every Maldivian.”

The tourism industry was not deemed immune to the need for greater attempts at providing sustainable initiatives, with the president claiming that sub divisionary offices of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) would be also be established to expand their presence and influence around the country.

Health

Looking at areas such as health, the president said that over 56,000 Maldivians had been signed up to the state run health insurance scheme known as Madhana, a figure that was expected to grow during the coming year.

“The government expended over Rf144m on social protection last year in an effort to assuage the public plight of having to depend on handouts for healthcare,” he said. “Work will continue this year on increasing the number of people registered under Madhana. The government’s aim is to raise the number of Madhana clients to nearly 100,000 by the end of this year.”

Nasheed also played up the developments such as Telelmedicine in his speech, a service he claimed was currently introduced in five islands to alleviate potential strain on medical services, with a further 34 islands expected to adopt the system in 2011.

“This system would instead allow patients to benefit from the expertise and facilities of hospitals and doctors all across the world,” he said. “This service would be introduced in another 34 islands of the Maldives in the future.”

Two additional bills were also expected to be put in front of the Majlis during the coming year. According to the president, both the Health Service Bill and the Medical Negligence Bill were devised to bring important overhauls to the country’s medical services that he hoped would see them put in place as soon as possible.

Nasheed claimed that important breakthroughs had also been brought in by the Majlis in areas such as protecting rights for disabled people along with providing financial aid.

“In order to maintain social security costs at a sustainable level, a social security fund has been established and is being developed further to protect people from economic instability and insecurity,” he said. “A special budget has been allocated for this purpose.”

Education

The president claimed that “significant steps” had also been made by parliament during 2010 to finalise and roll out an amended national education programme including technical training and standards.

The measures, outlined under a new Education Bill had now been submitted to the Majlis. Despite the government’s intentions, Nasheed accepted that not all aims were as yet being made.

“Last year, I stated that our main goal for 2010 was to increase the percentage of graduates holding 5 [O-level] passes from 32 per cent to 41 per cent,” he said during the speech. “Even though this goal was not reached, the figure has now been increased to 35 percent. Performance improvements were achieved by 100 schools in 2010 over 2009. To sum up, the percentage of students who passed in 5 subjects has increased in those schools.”

The President also claimed that his government had also obtained the grandest achievement within the country’s academic history so far with the establishment of theMaldives National University.

“The university will serve the purpose of creating, preserving and disseminating knowledge and skills required for national development in cultural, social, economic and public spheres to safeguard the Maldives as a sovereign Islamic nation,” he said. “I take this moment to sincerely thank the honourable members of this Majlis for granting passage to the National University Act”

Religion

The president also used his speech to claim that 2010 had seen “notable achievements” within the Maldives in regards to strengthening religious awareness and rejuvenating Islam among the public.

To this end, Nasheed said that religious scholars had been used to provide sermons across the country, while additional mosques were constructed in 12 islands across the nation.

“Alms collection was also increased compared to last year, and the funds were used for major projects. 39 islands were selected for construction of new mosques this year, 21 of which would be funded by the state budget,” he said. “Construction of these mosques is set to begin this year, and work is being done to procure foreign assistance for the construction of another 18 mosques. In addition to those, I would like to highlight that the first Islamic bank to be established in the Maldives will be opened during this month.”

Crime

In relation to criminal activity in the Maldives, the president claimed that the number of crimes, at least reported, to the Maldives Police Service had fallen by eleven percent in 2011. Nasheed added that a new police strategy to run from this year until 2013 had also been put in place in order to try and focus additionally on emerging areas such as cyber crimes.  Drugs were said to remain a key focus for law enforcement officials.

“The efforts exerted by the government to prevent the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs into the country have been rewarding,” said Nasheed. “This is evidenced by the reduction in the number of people reported for drug offences by 46 percent in 2010, compared with that of in 2009, according to recent Police records. Moreover, these records indicate a 40 percent reduction in the percentage of youth exposed and therefore, are highly susceptible to adopting the habit of drug abuse.”

Culture and sport

According to the president, another important area of focus for the country was deemed to be in the development of cultural and literary talent.

The inaugural Hay Festival Maldives, a sister event to the annual Hay Festival in Wales, UK, was seen as an important step in highlighting the works of local artists and writers alongside their international counterparts.

The president claimed that on the back of the event, the government was looking to try and develop local skills and talent with the aid of an Arts Council and Heritage Council during 2011.

Similarly, Nasheed praised developments made in the fields of national sports such as the success of the Maldives cricket team after its triumph in the ACC Trophy Challenge held in Thailand this year.

Gender

Raising the issue of equality, Nasheed said that significant steps had been taking to try and reduce gender discrimination.

“In this regard, a resort forum was held to promote products crafted by women and financial aid was rendered to organizations striving to encourage and emancipate women in our society to gain their rights and opportunities, and to extend and employ their potential in managing trade and businesses,” he said.

Security

Under plans outlined for the year ahead and beyond, the president said that the work of the country’s National Security Council was in the process of trying to be expanded. An office of a National Security Advisor had also been set up to extend this work including laying out marine security, identifying internal threats and improving bilateral relations.

“This action plan will be devised within 90 days forward,” the president added. “For the first time in the Maldivian history, Maldivian soldiers will participate in the UN Peace Keepers’ regiment under a contract to be signed this year.”

Political privileges

In discussing the controversial Privileges Bill that the Majlis had attempted to pass at the end of last year within the budget, the president said that he felt that revisions needed to be urgently considered in line with recommendations he had provided.

“I regard it as being highly important that the members of the Majlis receive their necessary privileges and protection,” Nasheed said. “During the history of 77 years of the Majlis, there have been several circumstances under which some respected members of the Majlis, either incumbent or resigned then, had to face various contemptible consequences concerning politics, justice and other controversies.”

In considering these potential difficulties, the president asked parliament to consider a Privilege Bill that was provided under an established and legitimate law.

Judiciary

Nasheed added that with democracy being a key aim of his government, ensuring efficient division of the different branches of the state were a key part of these goals. Amidst recent concerns addressed by some bodies like the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) that the nation’s judiciary may not be working independently, Nasheed said he believed the role of the Majlis in trying to ensure this was increasingly important.

“A noteworthy example is the establishment of important offices that come under the judicial system in the Maldives last year,” he claimed.

“Today, my main appeal is for you endeavor to instill trust and faith in the judicial system of the Maldives and in the work of parliament. I appeal for unity in the national interests and prioritize constructive judgment and wisdom to allow for peace, progress and order in our country, without being associated with those seeking abrupt opportunities to disrupt and topple the government.”

The full address can be read here.

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Eco film festival concludes in Male’

An environment-themed film festival was concluded yesterday after screening three days worth of films and documentaries from around the world for local audiences in Male’.

The Safe Planet Film Festival was held in collaboration between a number of parties including the Ministry of Housing and Environment and Indian environmental NGO Terre Policy. the festival showcased a number of films concerning environmental issues ranging in length from 30 second shorts to hour-long documentaries at the capital’s Olympus Theatre.

Other event organisers included the High Commission of India, the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) and the Maldives Entertainment Company.

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In the black: customs documents expose Maldives’ chronic oil addiction

The 15 percent increase in oil prices over the past five months has led to the Maldives spending almost US$100,000 more on fossil fuels, per day.

Customs figures obtained by Minivan News reveal the true extent of the country’s chronic addiction to fossil fuels, and extraordinary vulnerability to even minor price rises.

In 2010, the Maldives spent over US$245 million on fuel (including marine diesel, aviation gas, propane and petrol) – disturbingly, almost a quarter of the country’s US$1 billion GDP.

The vast proportion (US$200 million) of the country’s fuel spend was on marine diesel. Petrol accounted for US$24 million, liquefied propane US$10 million, and aviation fuel US$12 million.

This represents a daily expenditure of US$670,000 to meet the country’s fuel needs, approximately US$800 per person per year in a country where the average annual income is under US$5000.

Oil is currently US$86 a barrel after trending a 15 percent increase over the past five months, which shows no sign of slowing. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), together with other analysts, have confidently tipped that oil will reach an average $90 a barrel in 2011, and potentially top US$100.

The figures also reveal that the Maldives is highly dependent on several countries for most of its fuel – Singapore (for aviation fuel), the UAE (petrol) and the Bahamas (marine diesel).

The revelation of the extent of marine fuel consumed in the country – over 2 million barrels annually – is one that President Nasheed’s Energy Advisor Mike Mason suggests is a strong argument for a return to sailing.

“I think there is a huge opportunity to take a knowledge of sail, wind and current – the thinking that has served the Maldives well for 2000 years – and apply modern technology such as solar to create a new transport paradigm. A sailing vessel with a modern hull, utilising modern technology can reach 30-40 knots, and would greatly reduce the reliance on diesel.”

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Much Maldivian tourism development neither economically or environmentally sustainable: Tourism Concern

Much of the current tourism development in the Maldives does not seem sustainable in terms of its impact on the environment or on the economy, writes Friends of Maldives (FoM) NGO founder David Hardingham for Tourism Concern, a UK-based charity ‘fighting exploitation in tourism’.

“Tourism has already played a pivotal role in bringing democracy to the country. It will also be the means by which the country achieves economic recovery. Now the ethical tourist’s attention must turn to sustainable tourism.

“Preference must be given to resorts making efforts at recycling, alternative energy and environmental protection (with particular reference to the coral reef ecosystem). The government must be called to task on these issues.

“A new and exciting development is that of the family-owned guesthouse. This sector of the industry deserves whatever help it can get – especially since benefits will flow directly to those most in need. The finest beaches in the world await the intrepid traveller who wants to see the real Maldives.”

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Development and climate change adaption “go hand-in-hand”, says Greenpeace

Rather than establishing a one size fits all-style blueprint for more sustainable economies, the Maldives’ well publicised carbon neutral commitments demonstrate how national development and fighting climate change can be mutually exclusive, environmental organisation Greenpeace has said.

Wendel Trio, Climate Policy and Global Deal Coordinator for Greenpeace International, believes that the Maldives can play an iconic role in promoting the potential benefits of adopting alternate energy programmes, rather than detailing how to practically adopt a lower carbon economy.

“The Maldives can become a strong proponent of a paradigm shift in the World Bank and in developing countries whereby it is recognized that fighting climate change and promoting development go hand in hand,” Trio explained.

The claims come as the country has this month found itself elected as a Co-Chair of the World Bank Strategic Climate Fund Governing Committee (SCF), a development the Maldives Environment Ministry believes grants it a much louder voice in outlining international green policy on sustainable energy sources.

The SCF is part of the governing body of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), which are used in attempts to finance pilot projects in developing countries that focus on generating cleaner and renewable energy sources as well as other sustainable agricultural policies.

Trio claimed that with the Maldives’ elevated status in the World Bank’s CIF programme, the country can act more as an example of the “bold commitments” that a nation can make on environmental issues rather than existing as a model that can be adopted by other nations looking to go carbon neutral.

In looking specifically at the Maldives being elected as Co-Chair of the SCF, the Greenpeace spokesperson accepted that the country is somewhat limited by its size in the role it can have as an advocate for more sustainable business and lifestyles.

“By coupling both strong words and the need for the big emitting countries in the developed and the developing world to reduce their emissions sharply, with a strong commitment at home, the Maldives has also gained respect,” Trio explained to Minivan News. “However, obviously none of the big emitting countries are looking at the Maldives as an example, as they all claim that their social and economic development cannot be compared to that of a small island state.”

Ultimately, Deputy Environment Minister Minister Mohamed Shareef says the appointment of the Maldives to a co-chair role in the Climate Fund Committee will not directly impact existing carbon neutral aims across the nation.

However, he expects the position to allow the country to have a more active role in outlining global sustainable policy that might better favour national developments.

In terms of national interests, the Maldives is expected to retain its high profile commitments to carbon neutrality, which the Deputy Environment Minister says will be the key to pursuing additional ecological overhauls in relation to waste and conservation.

Aside from the global status afforded by the Maldives’ carbon neutral ambitions, the practical success of energy security and more cost effective fuels afforded by the Maldives’ green ambitions will be essential to fund wider ministry focuses on recycling, conservation and waste management, at least according to the Deputy Environment Minister Mohamed Shareef.

Shareef told Minivan News that although authorities are trying to focus on providing a wide range of programmes relating to conservation and waste management, budgetary restrictions are ensuring sustainable energy is the key environmental focus for the nation.

Despite opening itself up to possible criticism that the Maldivian government is not as committed to commitments like having recycling facilities and even public bins across the country, Shareef believes greener energy is vital to helping bankroll additional environmental commitments.

“At present, about 25 percent of the Maldives revenue is spent on energy due to higher fuel costs,” he says.

In considering the “very high” costs of energy being faced in the country, focusing on more cost efficient supplies of power and fuel is hoped by the Deputy Environment Minister to offset current budget limitations that are claimed to be hindering focusing on recycling and littering that directly impact everyday Maldivians.

Shareef claims that the Environment Ministry is nonetheless working to act on wider sustainability commitments beyond looking to overhaul the nation’s energy supplies.

“We haven’t forgotten [recycling and waste management commitments] and we are working on projects in a number of areas,” he says. “You will increasingly hear more mentions about our energy commitments due to the short deadline – carbon neutrality by 2020 – that has been set.”

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