Asia & The Pacific
As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Maldives is faced with daunting challenges of resilience to climate change and disaster risk. The country is regularly exposed to floods, droughts, storms, monsoonal heavy rains, cyclones, storm swells and coastal erosion. The archipelago is also exposed to seismic activity which can cause tsunamis. Other disaster risks include fire accidents and oil spills. The observed impacts and projected risks of climate change present major risks to livelihoods, infrastructures, economic and socio-ecological systems as 70% of the country’s total land area is less than one meter above sea level.
Following a request from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in April 2022, the CADRI Partnership conducted a scoping mission in June 2022, setting the stage for a comprehensive capacity diagnosis mission in Tanzania in October 2022. This mission aimed to inform the development of an integrated DRR and CCA strategy, focusing on coordinated implementation across various sectors and levels.
Designed to cultivate a common understanding of disaster and climate risks, this strategy also aims to facilitate evidence-based programming by the UN Country Team under the current UNSDCF for 2022-2026. The objectives of the mission supported a shift from a response-centric to a preventive and anticipatory risk-informed planning and investment strategy at both central and local levels. This strategic alignment promises enhanced coordination and coherence in interventions by the UN system and other partners. The initial draft of the report was shared with partners for review and feedback in June 2023. However, finalizing the report has faced challenges. Recognizing the importance of these findings for strategic planning and action, the Maldivian government has requested the elaboration of a Policy Makers Digest of the diagnosis of national and local capacities to manage climate and disaster risks, which is currently in its final revision.
