In his keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Water Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore, President Mohamed Nasheed spoke on the link between the low carbon growth and water security.
He said, for the Maldives “the links between low carbon growth and water security are particularly pronounced.”
The President said although the most of the country was ocean, the Maldives still had acute fresh and drinking water problems.
He said freshwater lens that provide water for drinking, washing and agriculture has become contaminated by sewage and salt water intrusion forcing a large part of the country to depend on other sources of water including desalinated water.
Many of these problems “arise because of poor governance of water supplies over the past few decades”, added the President.
Speaking on the higher cost and energy inefficiency of desalinated water, the President said, many islands that cannot afford desalinated water rely of unreliable rainwater harvesting. More >>>
