Maldives to turn prison waste into fertilizer in new green justice initiative
Maldives Correctional Service partners with eco-NGO to recycle prison waste, linking sustainability with inmate rehabilitation
MALE, Maldives (MNTV) — The Maldives has launched a new initiative to transform prison waste into agricultural fertilizer, merging climate action with rehabilitative justice inside its correctional facilities.
The effort stems from a one-year agreement signed between the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) and Soneva Namoona, an environmental NGO known for its work on sustainable waste management and ocean conservation.
The project aims to establish a waste-to-fertilizer system that supports both ecological sustainability and the reintegration of inmates through skill-building and agricultural work.
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed by Commissioner of Prisons Hassan Zareer and Soneva Namoona President Azhoora Ahmed, the organization will provide equipment and lead training workshops for correctional staff.
These workshops will cover the technical processes of turning organic and other suitable waste into usable fertilizer.
The fertilizer produced will feed into farming operations already functioning inside correctional institutions, where detainees participate in supervised agricultural programs as part of their rehabilitation. MCS officials emphasized that the initiative not only reduces environmental impact but also enhances vocational training and long-term reintegration prospects for inmates.
“This collaboration creates a dual benefit—supporting our sustainability goals while empowering detainees through meaningful work,” said Zareer at the signing ceremony.
The Maldives, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, has in recent years pushed to integrate environmental thinking into a broad range of sectors—from tourism to criminal justice. This new partnership signals a further shift toward circular economy practices, where waste becomes a resource and reform is tied to ecological responsibility.
Environmental advocates have praised the move as a model that other island and climate-impacted nations might adopt, especially as global interest grows in linking climate resilience with social justice reform.
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