Maldives: disaster management reference handbook 2021

This handbook provides an overview of natural hazards, climate change susceptibility, disaster management and response in the Maldives. It provides an analysis of government disaster plans and policies and community preparedness.

As a nation comprised of about 1,200 islands across 26 atolls, Maldives faces climate change as one of its greatest threats. With three-quarters of its land area lying less than one meter (three feet) above sea level, minimal sea level rise could have devastating effects, even without land disappearing. The low-lying islands are exposed and increasingly vulnerable to a number of hazards exacerbated by climate change, including coastal erosion, frequent monsoon flooding, and intense sea surges. 

The Maldives established the National Disaster Management Center in the wake of the December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Since then, disaster management policy has continued to develop. As elsewhere, the front line of disaster response is at the local level, which occurs at island and atoll levels in the Maldives. Nationally, the lead disaster agency, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is supported by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Maldives Police Service (MPS), and Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC). In line with the role the local level plays and the importance of disaster prevention, which often accompanies climate change adaptation, one of NDMA’s critical objectives to mainstream disaster risk reduction (DRR) at the national level and minimize the impact of disasters. NDMA also runs a Community Based Disaster Risk Management Program to reduce risk and increase preparedness, resilience, and the capability to adapt. This handbook provides an in depth overview of disaster management programming in the Maldives.

The Disaster Management Reference Handbook Series is intended to provide decision makers, planners, responders and disaster management practitioners with an overview of the disaster management structure, policies, laws, and plans for each country covered in the series.