The forgotten case of environmental sustainability

The 2000s were a wakeup call for the world with regard to climate change and environmental awareness. People were worried, and rightfully so, about the immense weight of damage their children would face if rampant industrialism shredded the atmosphere and the oceans. The year 2009 was one of hope and pride, especially when then-President Mohamed Nasheed announced that the Maldives was going to go carbon neutral within the decade. The children were happy, the parents were placated, and the world watched eagerly.

A decade and year to boot, this announcement has not aged well.

Not only has Nasheed, now Speaker of Parliament and recently anointed Thematic Ambassador for the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), veered from this conversation during the power struggle between the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), there has been a notable diminishing to the power of his voice in this fight as well. His party, MDP, however, seems to be stamping on with his dream, by still trudging on at a snail’s pace in the urgent matter of climate change mitigation.

True, there have been a few breakaway projects that herald sustainability as the standard, yet there are too many policies that overshadow these projects. Rampant industrialisation, kickstarted by the Yameen Administration, is carried on by the Solih team, supposedly with their heads lower to the ground for fear of being singled out for their hypocrisy, with very little to show any halting or slowing down. On top of that, while the floating islands plan is fine and dandy, current housing projects show no sign of sustainability as a concept. Policies regarding individual buildings opting for self-sufficiency seems muted, and only offset by the project to switch out the current source of fossil fuels in power generation for a cleaner, yet still dangerous, alternative.

Where the Maldives went wrong in the nation’s march for climate change and sea level rise mitigation can be reduced to many points of recent history, so instead, it is important to see how other Small Island Developing States are doing in this regard. Therein lies lessons, warnings, and motivation if the administration were to take it seriously.

With a population nearly topping over 900,000 people, the small nation of Fiji had set their goals for a 81 percent renewable energy (RE) driven nation back in 2015. When they had made their pledge, their dependancy on RE was around 47 percent, and it has since reached 59 percent, exceeding that which was generated by nonrenewable sources and fossil fuels. 

Other Pacific Ocean countries have taken up their responsibilities as well, although most of them suffer from something that is quite uncommon nowadays in the Maldives; lack of access to electricity. With the efforts of previous administrations up until now, all islands have decent access to electricity, barring the occasional generator issues that cause blackouts. Yet with the powers vested in FENAKA to provide this service now, it is worrying to see that renewable energy is still not a priority in the Maldives as much as has been promised.

The current geography of the nation should be used to the advantage of achieving this goal. With each island already self-sustainable on fossil fuels, and with low population levels compared to the capital, switching to renewable resources should be included in island development plans. While the efficiency levels of solar panel technology is not as high as one might hope, it is improving, yet the advantage the Maldivian geography presents the government is how oceanic-based possibilities are present for energy production.

Tidal range energy

Tidal range energy technologies include tidal barge energy systems and tidal lagoon energy systems, and represent the bulk of existing installed ocean-based renewable energy, having been in operation for decades. Tidal range technologies act effectively as low-head hydropower systems – in their simplest form, water is constrained on the high tide (by barrage or lagoon) and powers a water turbine on release.

Tidal stream energy

With the rise and fall of tidal water elevation that occurs twice a day, tidal currents are generated. Tidal stream energy converters harvest the energy of these currents and convert it to electrical energy. Many technologies are in development, but convergence towards horizontal axis turbines has occurred. These tidal energy converters are intended to be modular, to be deployed in subsurface arrays.

Wave energy

Wave power converts the kinetic and potential energy of the surface wind-waves of the ocean into electrical energy. Wave energy converters are designed to be deployed in arrays, similar to wind farms. Many concepts are in development, with little to no convergence in technologies. 

There are other options as well but more suited to other regions of the world. These specific examples and explanations are in part to show that the technology is there and it is constantly evolving, looking to be used wherever possible. The Maldives could attract huge, lucrative investments for these projects if, for example, the existing bridge structure is used to support such an array for the capital city.

On top of this, there is then the issue of the very uncontrolled import and distribution of motor vehicles, which does not appear to give any indication of easing up. There have not been any plans announced to introduce battery powered public transportation options for the city to ease congestion and alleviate pollution levels. While entire resort islands exclusively use golf carts, why these have not been considered as an alternative in the city is annoyingly befuddling.

The Maldives finds herself overshadowed by nations not endowed with the privileges that this country has and the people are now forgetting that within two generations, the place they call home might be beneath the waves. However, there might still be time. The people need to be aware that this administration has admitted both at local council level, as well as ministerial, that their approach is akin to putting a band-aid on a gaping wound - quick fixes rather than longterm solutions or changes. 

With half a term already completed, and promises left broken and forgotten, the people need to remember their own pleas and cries for climate justice, and make the leaders that do not champion these issues answerable, at a minimum at the ballot box, even when it does not suit them.