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The Republic of Maldives (hereafter referred to as Maldives) is an archipelago of nearly 1,200 low-lying islands, located south-west of India and Sri Lanka. The archipelago is one of the most dispersed countries in the world, with approximately 530,000 people inhabiting around 200 islands, spread across 35,000 square miles.
Maldives has five cities, including Addu City in the south, Kulhudhuffushi City in the north, and Malé City in the central region. Malé is historically the center of government, economic, and social activity, and it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. However, the dense urban environment stands in contrast to Maldives’ rural islands, which are far more remote in terms of geography and, until recently, in terms of social services.
Maldives’ hazard profile consists of infrequent, high impact events, such as tsunamis and epidemics, and much more frequent, low impact events, such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods, which have a cumulating effect in the long term.
Under climate change projections, Maldives is bracing for more frequent, more intense low impact events, with particular focus on sea level rise (SLR), flooding, coastal erosion, ocean warming, and acidification. However, Maldives is ahead of many SIDS in the institutionalization of its disaster management and disaster risk reduction framework. Tourism and fisheries are extremely vulnerable to external shocks of disasters. A small disruption in the global supply chain affects food security and can greatly impact the cost of and access to food and fuel for the Maldives.
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Maldives established a national disaster management organization to coordinate national response efforts. In 2015, the Disaster Management Act formally established the NDMA and set into motion the development of framework, involving all parts of government and civil society, while also delegating disaster management authorities down to the local city, island, and atoll levels.
At the national level, the NDMA maintains a National Emergency Response Force, consisting of Maldives National Defense Forces, the Health Protection Agency, Maldives Police Service, Maldivian Red Crescent, the Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure and other organizations which are mandated to provide assistance in the event of a disaster. The National Emergency Operations Plans Volume I and II set forth operating procedures and provide direction for different hazard categories, involving a whole-of-society approach to disaster response.
At the local level, the Community Emergency Response Framework establishes communitybased, trained emergency response teams, managed by local island and city councils. In the event of disaster, local community emergency response teams are the first to respond and will coordinate with the National Emergency Operations Center, managed by the NDMA, when events exceed the local capacity to respond.
Maldives is taking proactive steps in disaster risk reduction (DRR) by strengthening its disaster management framework, implementing a robust early warning system and integrating climate change adaptation strategies and projects.
Coastal protection projects include seawalls, reef restoration, and land reclamation to combat sea-level rise and storm surges. Key adaptation initiatives include its National Adaptation Program of Action and multiple renewable energy projects focused on reducing Maldives’ carbon footprint. Maldives also collaborates extensively with international and regional partners to enhance its resilience through financial support and technical assistance.