15 February 2024, Malé – The Government of Maldives, in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), is increasing the climate resilience of the island nation through the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
The NAP process aims to reduce a country’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by identifying and addressing long-term adaptation needs through strategic planning that is guided by the latest climate science and projections.
Consisting of low-lying small atolls, where around 80% of the land area is below one meter above sea level, Maldives is extremely vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change, particularly coastal erosion.
The USD 2.8 million project, funded by the Green Climate Fund, will support Maldives to develop its adaptation plan, enhancing the capacity to plan and implement solutions that will boost the climate resilience of the country and its population.
The official launch of the project on the 15 February in the capital city Malé brought together a wide range of ministries, city councils, civil society organizations and development partners.
In a keynote speech, His Excellency Dr M Muaviyath Mohamed, the Minister of State for Climate Change, Environment and Energy, said: “As a Small Island Developing State on the frontline of the climate crisis, timely and effective adaptation actions are critical to the wellbeing of our environment, economy and people. The NAP process holds strong value in the reformation of policies, regulations and guidelines across various sectors and levels, and provides the ultimate opportunity for us to align our adaptation efforts with overall sustainable development plans“.
Key components of the NAP include strengthening institutional arrangements and enhancing technical capacity, building a basis to generate high quality climate information for adaptation planning, and developing a funding strategy for the implementation of the plan and its solutions. Crucially, the process will integrate climate change adaptation into new and existing policies and programmes across various sectors.
Addressing the inception workshop participants, Mozaharul Alam, UNEP’s Climate Change Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Region, said: “We gathered here in Maldives, where ocean meets the sky, to embark on a journey to develop a national adaptation plan to build the resilience of vulnerable communities and economies. Together, let’s embrace current knowledge and innovation to navigate present climate crisis and challenges to chart a course towards a vibrant and resilient tomorrow”.