Toward sustainable waste management in small islands developing states: integrated waste-to-energy solutions in Maldives context  

作　　者：Yao Wang Alejandro Ruiz-Acevedo Eemaan Rameez Vijaya Raghavan Abid Hussain Xunchang Fei 

机构地区：[1]School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,Nanyang Technological University,50 Nanyang Avenue,Singapore 639798,Singapore [2]United Nations Office for Project Services(UNOPS),United Nations Building,Buruzu Magu,Male’20184,Maldives [3]Department of Bioresource Engineering,McGill University,Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue,Quebec H9X 3V9,Canada [4]Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,Carleton University,Ottawa,Ontario K1S 5B6H9X 3V9,Canada

出　　处：《Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering》2024年第2期133-148,共16页环境科学与工程前沿（英文）

摘　　要：Effective waste management is a major challenge for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Maldives due to limited land availability. Maldives exemplifies these issues as one of the most geographically dispersed countries, with a population unevenly distributed across numerous islands varying greatly in size and population density. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the unique waste management practices across different regions of Maldives in relation to its natural and socioeconomic context. Data shows Maldives has one of the highest population density and per capita waste generation among SIDS, despite its small land area and medium GDP per capita. Large disparities exist between the densely populated capital Male’ with only 5.8 km2 area generating 63% of waste and the ~194 scattered outer islands with ad hoc waste management practices. Given Male’s dense population and high calorific waste, incineration could generate up to ~30 GW/a energy and even increase Maldives’ renewable energy supply by 200%. In contrast, decentralized anaerobic digestion presents an optimal solution for outer islands to reduce waste volume while providing over 40%–100% energy supply for daily cooking in local families. This timely study delivers valuable insights into designing context-specific waste-to-energy systems and integrated waste policies tailored to Maldives’ distinct regions. The framework presented can also guide other SIDS facing similar challenges as Maldives in establishing sustainable, ecologically sound waste management strategies.

关 键 词：Anaerobic digestion Waste incineration Waste management MALDIVES Small Island Developing States WASTE-TO-ENERGY 

分 类 号：X705[环境科学与工程—环境工程]