Maldives Plastic Pollution

Fuvahmulah discards over 2.4 million plastic water bottles at the landfill annually. Unfortunately, plastics take at least 450 years to completely degrade. As the plastics breakdown into micro plastics, it for certainly makes it into our food source. It is now scientifically proven these micro plastics are consequently found in our bloodstream. The plastic wastes that are in the landfill are also leaching chemicals into the ground, eventually compromising our freshwater sources too.

At the present time, we are raising funds to purchase home RO water filters to reduce plastic water bottle consumption. We have partnered up with Ocean Ramsey and Juan Oliphant from One Ocean Diving, One Ocean Conservation and Save The Sea Turtles International, on this home water filter project. It is our goal over the next 2 years to have water filters in each Fuvahmulah household that will need one.

The installation of first 30 water filters that arrived in early 2022 went successfully. Families have shared they have since saved approximately US$100 per month for a household of 4 persons. This is equivalent to about 100 plastic water bottles per month.

Meanwhile, we have launched the second round of fundraising in early May 2022 with aims to raise US$100,000. This enables us to purchase and install about 400 water filters. To date, there are about 600 households, out of 2860, in Fuvahmulah that have water filters installed in their homes. We have since donated and installed, in mid-2023, another 60 units to lower income households in Fuvahmulah.

Watch our video on the water filter project and read more about our Water Filtering & Bottling Plant project.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What can I do to help the Fuvahmulah plastic water bottle project?

You could help the Fuvahmulah plastic water bottle project by making a donation via our partner Save The Sea Turtles International, a foundation by One Ocean Conservation.

2. Does the Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah dive center have filtered water?

Yes, Pelagic Divers Fuvahmulah dive center has a triple water filtration system installed. We provide free drinking water for divers and they can bring their reusable water bottle to refill drinking water too.

3. How can I get drinking water in Fuvahmulah?

Drinking water in Fuvahmulah is readily available at guesthouses and restaurants. However, to reduce the purchase of single use water bottles, we encourage our divers to refill their reusable water bottles with drinking water provided at the dive center and our partner hotel, Ataraxis Grand & Spa.