MEMP and CCTF initiate composting in Ukulhas

Friday, June 29th, 2012

Maldives Environmental Management Project and the Climate Change Trust Fund have begun waste composting at Alif atoll Ukulhas island.

This effort was initiated on 20 June by the Core Task Team Leader (World Bank) Dr Sumith Pilapitiya, who takes a keen interest in waste management, and has established a well-managed composting facility in Welligama in Sri Lanka. He was assisted by Ms Drashani De Silva, Environmental Specialist (World Bank). The composting was begun on Ukulhas with the assistance of the Ukulhas Council, which has taken a keen interest in managing waste on their island, and have hired 4 expatriate staff in addition to having a well-managed island waste management centre equipped with a pickup truck.

Dr Sumith conducted an intensive training session for the staff of the island waste management centre as well as for the council members who closely supervise and even participate in the waste management efforts. This included hands-on training in how to put together piles of leaf-based waste as well as the organic (food) waste into an aerated pile, which will be turned once a week for about 8 weeks until the compost is ready.

With regular turning of the piles and close supervision of the condition of the piles, it is entirely possible, according to Dr Sumith, to ensure that there are no significant issues with bad smells or with flies, from this method of composting. As compost piles will now be made regularly, much of the organic waste that is produced will be composted and managed usefully from now on.
This is locally the first significant effort at composting, and this method of composting, it is believed, will enable islands to ensure that food waste is managed appropriately and also enable the generation of a commercial end product that would be useful in gardening as well as farming. The activities in Ukulhas will be replicated in the North Region under the MEMP project
The composting that has been begun in Ukulhas will be closely supervised by the Ukulhas council as well as Dr Sumith for MEMP and CCTF.

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