Abstract:
The low-lying island nation Maldives is vulnerable to sea level rise and beach erosion. This study is a
comparative case study investigating national, regional and local authorities risk reduction and
adaptation work of beach erosion on two local islands and one resort island in Laamu atoll, Maldives.
The aim of the study is to investigate if the authorities risk reduction works differ depending on if it is a
resort island or a local island, if there are any gaps in the authorities’ adaptive work and if they are
prioritizing any specific kind of measures. In the study capacity analyses are carried out for each island
based on Wamsler’s theoretical and operational framework. The authorities’ adaptation measures are
mapped out and categorized based on the initial risk factors the measures are intended to reduce.
Furthermore the interaction between the authorities and the resort operator and local people on the
selected islands are also analyzed by comparing the result of a parallel study carried out by Borgudd
(2014). The main method used in the study is a qualitative semi structured interview method where
officials and councilors were interviewed at the three authority levels. By analyzing the capacity
analyses it shows that the authorities’ adaptation work for the local islands Maavah and Maamendhoo
are similar compared to the resort island Six Senses Laamu. Compared to the investigated local islands
authorities have taken fewer adaptation measures on the resort island. This may be because resort
islands have to undertake and pay for their own protection measures. The authorities lack economic
resources to prevent beach erosion on the two local islands. In general all authority levels need to
improve their risk reduction work against beach erosion because they are now mostly focusing on
hazard reduction and avoidance measures.
