Maldives disaster management reference handbook 2024

Maldives’ hazard profile consists of infrequent, high impact events, such as tsunamis and epidemics, and frequent, low impact events, such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods. However, under climate change projections, Maldives is bracing for more frequent and intense low impact events, such as sea level rise, flooding, coastal erosion, ocean warming, and acidification. The government, through its National Disaster Management Authority, has established important legal and policy frameworks to support the implementation of disaster risk reduction and disaster response programs at the national, island/atoll, and community levels. 

This Maldives Disaster Management Reference Handbook contextualizes the historical, social, economic, and climatic factors which underpin Maldives’ initiatives to enhance resilience to hazards. The handbook explains Maldives’ disaster management practices, outlining policies, frameworks and the role of key actors and stakeholders. It is hoped that this Handbook will support planners or other personnel involved in disaster response in Maldives or working with Maldives' disaster management and climate change personnel in a response or preparedness project.