Strengthening National and Subnational Capacity for Sustainable Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Maldives

The Maldives, as a low-lying island nation, is among the most vulnerable countries in the world with respect to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards. As a Small Island Developing State with a population of over 500,000, dispersed across 186 administrative islands and spread over roughly 90,000 square Km, the country faces significant challenges in delivering public goods and services.

Given the nation's stark challenges from natural hazards and climate change, the United Nations Sustainable Development Co-operation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022 - 2026 dedicates its strategic priority to a sustainable and climate-resilient environment. It envisions that by 2026, national and sub-national institutions and communities in the Maldives, particularly at-risk populations, will be better able to manage natural resources and achieve enhanced resilience to climate change and disaster impacts, natural and human-induced hazards, and environmental degradation with the support of UN-led interventions.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are collaboratively implementing a two-year Joint SDG Fund programme, "Strengthening National and Subnational Capacity for Sustainable Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Maldives." This programme aims to anchor Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) at the heart of national and subnational development planning to ensure better achievement of SDGs and Agenda 2030 in the Maldives.

This report provides a comprehensive description of the anticipated climate risks in the Maldives for hazards like flood, storms, and sea level rise and their possible impacts on the population and socio-economy of the Maldives based on the high-resolution climate projection information. The report also highlights some potential adaptation strategies for climate hazards and suggestive ways to integrate the outcome with the policies and actions related to DRR and CCA.

Note:

All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. The Fund receives generous contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and private sector funding partners to help achieve the SDGs by 2030.