Soneva Namoona marks seven-year milestone in island waste management

Soneva Namoona, a local NGO focused on waste management in the Maldives, has marked seven years of work supporting local islands to improve waste systems through community-based programmes and infrastructure support.

Celebration events were held across the 11 participating islands, where progress in waste management was highlighted and waste compacting machines were donated. According to the organisation, the compactors are intended to reduce the volume of waste, improve storage and transport efficiency, support better organisation at waste management centres, and lower the risk of waste entering the sea during transfer.

Waste management remains a growing concern across many island communities in the Maldives, where increased development and consumption have often not been matched by island-level systems. Soneva Namoona works with local islands to establish and operate waste management centres, supporting the separation, sorting and recycling of waste, while also promoting the reduction of single-use plastics.

In Baa Atoll, where several of its partner islands are located, the organisation said it has helped prevent the use of more than one million single-use plastic bottles through the Soneva Water bottling plant in B. Maalhos.

Soneva Namoona also said its work has helped reduce the amount of waste burned in open bonfires, while improving household waste collection and composting systems. These measures, it said, have contributed to cleaner island environments and less litter on land and at sea.

The organisation noted that local communities are now playing a more active role in waste management, with participation from households, island councils and waste management staff.

Azhoora Ahmed, President of Soneva Namoona, said the anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on both the organisation’s progress and the role of communities in making the work possible.

“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,” she said.

“The Namoona partner islands show that sustainable waste management is achievable when solutions are built together and truly owned by the community.”

In addition to its island-based waste management work, Soneva Namoona has also introduced a number of national and community-level programmes. These include Fehi Madharusa, a green school initiative that has been adopted nationally; the Alun Balun Resale Market, which promotes the circular economy through second-hand clothing; and Kaadhu Satheyka, a programme focused on household composting and reducing organic waste.

The organisation also said it has contributed to national policy discussions on waste management, with aspects of the ‘Namoona Model’ now reflected in government-led rollouts.

Soneva Namoona’s current partner islands are Kendhoo, Kudarikilu, Kamadhoo, Kihaadhoo, Dhonfanu, Dharavandhoo, Maalhos, Magoodhoo, Lhohi, Kudafari and Makunudhoo. According to the NGO, these islands have served as pilot locations for testing and refining waste management solutions through long-term community partnerships.