Almost paradise – but with smelly water: life on Mulah island, Maldives

Like many other the Maldives’ 188 inhabited islands, Mullah is almost completely flat and extremely vulnerable to climate change. The islands are also so tiny that event with small populations –– the median island population is 700-800 people, they are densely populated. The capital Male is far away and getting there is too expensive and time-demanding for many islanders. Residents on these remote islands are particularly marginalized, even within the context of an already climate-fragile nation.

The Maldives is a famous and lucrative tourist destination, but until recently, the tourism industry was limited to resort islands where no locals lived. Now it is spreading to the inhabited islands, bringing rapid change that often harms ecosystems and challenges locals’ quality of life. Still, jobs are scarce. Traditionally, men pursued fishing, while women weaved palm fronds or worked in other cottage industries. Though fishing remains common, it is hard to selling the catch for a good price.

“There are few employment opportunities in these islands other than within basic community services like the local school, island council secretariat and utilities,” says Ali Mishal, a governmental water regulator and IHE Delft Alumnus who also leads the non-governmental organization H2O.

Mulah’s water system comprises a ‘freshwater lens’ (FWL) - a thin layer of rainfall-fed freshwater floating above saline layers of groundwater that is highly vulnerable. In the past, it was used sustainably. Now, things have changed.

The groundwater used by many households stinks.

“In many houses the groundwater has an unpleasant rotten egg-like smell,” said Neena Jameel, a local teacher, environmental activist and CEL member. We visited half a dozen homes in different parts of the island to see how widespread the problem is and could witness this first-hand.

The government recently introduced a piped sewer system to replace septic tanks. Some residents find this has reduced the stink, while others find it has worsened. Testing is needed to determine the source of the smell.

A few years ago, the government introduced a piped drinking water system supplied by a combination of desalinated water and harvested rainwater to provide access to non-smelly water. Though all homes have been connected, many residents have yet to use the tap water service as they can’t afford it. An island resident showed us her water bill – about 200 euro for just one month! This is far more than my water bill in the Netherlands.

Islanders generally do not trust the water quality. This is not without reason, Mishal said.

“The plumbing system in many houses are rather complex and not up to standard. The risk of water getting polluted by cross-contamination within the household is high,” he said.

Many outer islanders rely on bottled water packaged in single-use plastics, spending as much as 100 euro a month to meet the needs of a family of seven to ten people.

Island residents are aware that their efforts aren’t enough to tackle the complex problems they are faced with. They need support from water and environment experts to ensure that their engagement leads to the results they need.

“People of Mulah are very resilient. But we suffer from the poor quality of the groundwater, as it remains an important water source for us.  If we could investigate what is going on with our water resources, it might help us to take steps to improve it,” Jameel said.