The Namoona model supports small islands to take a step-by-step approach to improving their waste management. It is a merit-based system, rewarding islands that take initiative to manage their own waste. It is tested and proven to be cost effective in the scattered geography of the Maldives.
The Namoona model is the distillation of over 10 years’ research, development and practical experience in the Maldives, led by waste management innovators, community engagement experts, education specialists and funded primarily by Soneva Resorts.
Through years of testing and practical application in both resorts and local Maldivian islands, a concept for decentralised waste management has evolved which has the people of small island communities at the heart of the solution.
Waste management is like a delicate paper chain, with the links representing the sequence of activities necessary to manage waste from source to resource.
Waste management projects fail when any one of these links get broken. E.g. A community is not engaged in segregation, a vital machine or vehicle breaks, waste transportation is too costly etc. A good waste management system aims to build robustness by taking these paper-weak links and making them as strong as steel.
The Namoona model recognises that there are no simple solutions or quick fixes when it comes to solving the waste management challenges on small islands. The journey towards more sustainable systems must consider:
The Namoona model includes all these elements and delivers them through a series of targeted interventions.
The Namoona 5-step model helps to simplify planning and decision-making for island councils and donors when it comes to supporting waste management activities. It is a guide to what to focus on first.
