The Mayor of Male’, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that the Male’ City Council are having to explore innovative solutions to fulfill their commitment making Male’ a safer, healthier and more sustainable city. In his remarks at this afternoon’s Local and Regional Governments Special Event of the UN Ocean Conference in Matosinhos, Portugal, the Mayor spoke about the importance of the ongoing drive to plant one hundred thousand new trees to make Male’ City greener, as well as the upcoming programme to introduce e-bikes, to promote a healthier lifestyle.
“When I assumed the office of Mayor of Male’ last year, my team and I drew up an ambitious five-year Strategic Action Plan, with a key priority being a concerted community effort to keep our lagoons, harbours and surrounding seas pristine and free of harmful waste such as plastics”, Dr. Muizzu stressed. He noted the overwhelming support of the community to this and other such initiatives.
Noting that the Maldives has been on the frontlines of climate change and sea-level rise, both as a victim and as an advocate, the Mayor of Male’ said that, over the years, the country’s leadership role in climate change has come to define the country at global multilateral forums. “Pride in and caring for our natural ecosystems, including the vast coral reefs, is a moral responsibility that has been passed on across generations”, he added.
Eluding to the contemporary challenges facing the country, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu highlighted that the people had come to realise and appreciate that the very nature of the challenges were changing and evolving. He went on to state that, with limited resources at their disposal, he and his team at the Male’ City Council have had to think outside the box to find efficient and effective solutions to the problems facing the city’s residents.
The Mayor of Male’ noted that efficient segregation, safe disposal and effective recycling of an ever-increasing volume of waste was now a high priority, and that the growing proportion of plastic waste, including single-use plastics such as PET bottles, was a matter of particular concern.
In concluding his remarks, Mayor Muizzu appealed to the high-level audience.
“We did our part for many years. We continue to do our part today. And, we will continue to do our part in the years ahead. We sincerely hope that every nation and city represented here share our urgency and enthusiasm in doing their part as responsible, altruistic global citizens.”
Other speakers at the Special Event included the Minister for Environment and Climate Change of Portugal, the Secretary of State of the Sea of Portugal, the Minister of Territorial Cohesion of Portugal, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, the Vice President of the European Investment Bank, mayors and local and regional government leaders from across the world, and top officials of non-profit organisations and UN bodies.
The Mayor of Male' will also meet senior officials attending the special event, including administrators of the co-organisers United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Being a member of UCGL ASPAC, the Male' City Council has been seeking stronger multilateral engagement and enhanced foreign investment in the improvement of municipal services in Male' City.