Soneva Namoona, a local environmental NGO, has marked 7 years of supporting island communities in improving waste management across the Maldives.
Celebration events were held in 11 islands, where progress in waste handling was highlighted and waste-compacting machines were donated to local councils, the NGO said. The machines are expected to make storage and transport more efficient and reduce the risk of waste entering the ocean.
Waste management continues to be a major challenge for many islands due to rising consumption and limited local systems. Soneva Namoona works with communities to establish and operate waste management centres, promote waste separation and recycling, and reduce reliance on single-use plastics.
In Baa atoll, the NGO's initiatives, including the Soneva Water bottling plant in Maalhos, have helped prevent the production of more than one million single-use plastic bottles.
The organization has also supported islands in significantly reducing open burning of waste and improving household collection and composting. According to the NGO, community participation in waste management has strengthened, with active involvement from households, councils and waste management staff.
"As we celebrate this milestone, I find myself reflecting on where we began, and the team members who have driven the programmes forward over the last seven years, and the community members who have worked so hard to make them a reality," Azhoora Ahmed, Soneva Namoona President, stated.
"The Namoona partner islands show that sustainable waste management is achievable when solutions are built together and truly owned by the community."
Soneva Namoona has expanded its work through several national and community-level initiatives, including Fehi Madharusa, the green-school initiative adopted nationally; the Alun Balun Resale Market, which promotes second-hand clothing and circular economy practices; and Kaadhu Satheyka, a programme encouraging household composting and organic waste reduction.
The NGO has contributed to national waste-management policy, with aspects of its "Namoona Model" incorporated into government initiatives.
Soneva Namoona's partner islands include Kendhoo, Kudarikilu, Kamadhoo, Kihaadhoo, Dhonfanu, Dharavandhoo, Maalhos, Magoodhoo, Lhohi, Kudafari and Makunudhoo, which have served as pilot sites for testing and refining waste-management solutions through long-term community partnerships.
The organization is now expanding its work across the Maldives and has invited interested island communities to join the programme by contacting inspiremgr-namoona@soneva.com.
