Vice President Faisal Naseem has reiterated the commitment of the Maldivian government to address the global environmental agenda through the development of informed policies on nitrogen management in the archipelago nation.

The Vice President made this remark while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the "South Asian Nitrogen Hub" (SANH) meeting in the Maldives.

During the ceremony, VP Naseem inaugurated the Massive Open Learning Introductory Course on Nitrogen and launched the Maldives' Country Report, which outlines the nitrogen status and management strategies.

Speaking at the event, VP Naseem shed light on the contribution of the SANH regional meeting to providing an academic and research-based perspective on the issues related to nitrogen management and stressed on the importance of holding a meeting in the Maldives.

He went on to applaud the Maldives National University (MNU) for leading the programme in the island nation in collaboration with stakeholders and shed light on the vulnerability of the Maldives due to climate change.

In this regard, he stressed that the negative impacts on the environment had continuously threatened the country's economy, industries, businesses, and the health and well-being of the local community, adding that as we advance, it will be essential to specify nitrogen emission reduction targets in policy instruments and sectoral plans and to ensure the effective implementation of these plans in the efforts to uphold a healthier planet.

VP Naseem also noted that while the current population of two billion in the South Asia region is projected to double by 2050, so is the fertilizer input and that the region is expected to have the highest nitrogen inputs in the world by then.

The Vice President went on to stress on the several challenges this would bring to the surface, including food security and environmental and developmental concerns.

The SANH meeting is attended by delegates from the United Kingdom (UK) and eight countries in South Asia including Maldives, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.