Abstract: | The Republic of the Maldives (hereafter
referred to as Maldives) is a low-lying island
nation comprised of close to 1,200 islands within
26 naturally formed atolls.1 All islands are subject
to physical hazards due to the country’s low
elevation and the flat topography. The country is
regularly affected by high frequency low impact
seasonal events such as monsoonal flooding,
coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, and intense
sea surge-related flooding due to sea level rise.
As 75% of the land area of Maldives is less than
a meter above mean sea level, the slightest rise
in sea level will prove extremely threatening.
The capital city Malé is one of the most densely
populated cities in the world, with one-third
of the country’s population residing there, and
it is susceptible to many man-made incidents
including residential fires.2
The frequency of disaster triggered by
natural hazards of large scale is relatively low;
however, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
brought devastating impact to the country’s
people, economy, and development progress.
Maldives was one of over a dozen countries
in the region affected by the Tsunami, which
in turn significantly impacted the nation
and spurred the development of more robust
disaster management and disaster risk reduction
strategies in the country. The country established
the National Disaster Management Center in
December 2004 to coordinate national response
efforts. Efforts have also been made to create
laws stipulating disaster management in the
last decade,3 including the National Disaster
Management Act (2015).4
In Maldives, frameworks, policies, and
coordination mechanisms continue to evolve
as they mature and are tested. National-level
emergency response is led and coordinated by
the National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA, formerly the National Disaster
Management Center (NDMC)). NDMA is
supported by the Maldives National Defence
Force (MNDF), Maldives Police Service (MPS),and Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC). However,
local administrations (island councils) are the
first line of response at the atoll and island levels.
During a crisis or disaster, coordination occurs
between councils, teams, liaisons, and other
stakeholders.5
One of the most important objectives of
NDMA is to mainstream disaster risk reduction
(DRR) at the national level. Under the 2015
Disaster Management Act (DMA), NDMA’s
overarching objective is to minimize the impact
of disasters,6 and work is underway to establish a
modern Emergency Operations Center (EOC).7
In addition, the country has a Community Based
Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) Program
run by NDMA as part of efforts to reduce risk
and increase preparedness and resilience.8
Enhancing cooperation between health
authorities and other relevant stakeholders to
strengthen country capacity for disaster risk
management for health and health systems is
most timely in responding to the Coronavirus
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2016, the
International Conference on the Implementation
of the Health Aspect of the Sendai Framework
for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
recommended this measure as well as others that
could assist countries in implementing the health
aspects of the Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction.9 The Maldives Ministry of
Health has established a website and is tracking
the status of the COVID-19 disease while
providing updates.10 Maldives was one of the first
countries to receive COVID-19 vaccines from
India in January 2021 through bilateral aid.11
Later, Maldives received delivery of COVID-19
vaccines through the COVAX facility in March
2021 by way of an initiative led by the World
Health Organization (WHO), GAVI (formerly
known as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunisation), the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and UNICEF,
providing vaccines to all developing countries
suffering the brunt of the pandemic |