The Maldives and China are also collaborating to improve weather monitoring systems. (File)
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China has donated 1,500 tonnes of water from Tibetan glaciers to the Maldives, the second such donation in less than two months, a media report said on Friday.
This is the latest of multiple grants and aid that China has promised the Maldives, especially since the pro-China Mohamed Muizzu assumed the presidency in November 2023.
Not only that, the Maldives and China are also collaborating to improve weather monitoring systems in this small island nation that bears the brunt of climate change, including challenges such as rising sea levels.
According to a report by news portal Sun.mv, China’s Xizang Autonomous Region donated 1,500 tons of mineral water to the Maldives government on Thursday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the donated water will be distributed to island communities, for use in times of shortage of drinking water.
Earlier on March 27, the Maldivian government announced that it had received a similar shipment of 1,500 tons of water from China.
Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer, while speaking at a ceremony where Wang Lixin, Chinese ambassador to the Maldives, handed over the donation, said that China continues to be a “good friend to the Maldives”, especially during difficult and crisis times.
The minister also expressed his gratitude to the people of Xinjiang Autonomous Region for the kind gesture and to the government and people of China for their continued support and goodwill.
“Grateful to receive 1,500 tons of mineral water from the people of Xizang Autonomous Region, PRC. This generous donation will greatly support our island communities during water shortages. Thank you for your support and friendship,” Zameer said in his official X at the end of the day. Friday and tagged Wang when posting photos from the ceremony.
The Maldives has 26 atolls and its 1,192 islands are mostly made up of coral reefs and sandbanks, a combination that makes groundwater and freshwater extremely scarce, and the problems are worsened by climate change.
The country attempted, between 2011 and 2015, a UN-funded “Enhancing Climate Resilience through an Integrated Water Resources Management Programme”, but with limited success.
In December 2014, India carried out “Operation Neer” during one of its worst water crises, following a major fire at the Male Water and Sewerage Company complex on December 4, 2014.
When announcing the previous shipment in March, the government said the decision to supply drinking water to the Maldives was taken during the November 2023 official visit of the President of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, Yan Jinhai, to the Maldives, when he met with President Muizzu.
At that time, it was decided to donate water produced from frozen water acquired in highly clean, clear and mineral-rich glacial regions. Furthermore, the Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang in Chinese) is known for producing high-cost premium water brands, the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said then.
Previously, China was known exclusively for its assistance in the urban and economic development of the Maldives. But since Muizzu took office, China has also been helping the country with the supply of defense equipment.
Meanwhile, a report by state news service PSM said efforts are underway to establish lightning detection and thunderstorm tracking systems in the Maldives with assistance from the Chinese administration.
Speaking at a conference, Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Thoriq Ibrahim, emphasized strengthening these efforts through collaboration with China’s civil aviation administration.
The minister also highlighted discussions with the China First Institute of Oceanography that aim to strengthen marine observation and forecasting capabilities in the Maldives, the report said.
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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