Abstract
Due to their geophysical structure, the Maldives face various natural hazards, such as coastal erosion, rising water levels, tsunamis and other climate-related disasters. In 2004, the country was affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami, with almost 12,000 displaced persons and a further 8,500 relocated inhabitants. In the context of the country’s efforts to achieve sustainable development and face climate change, disaster risk reduction and resilience capacity are key issues. The Government is working hard to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risks Reduction 2015-2030, linked to Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The paper considers the cases of two islands in Dhaalu Atoll – Meedhoo and Rin’budhoo – both affected by the tsunami, where social and economic resilience produced two different models of development. The tsunami hit Meedhoo hard. The island economy depends on fishing and the main threats are its small size and soil erosion. Thus, in 2006 a large area around the island was reclaimed and in 2014 larger reclamation projects were started. Rin’budhoo was also severly impacted by the tsunami; there were two victims and a lot of infrastructural damage, forcing many people to migrate. However, for years local government has promoted no land reclamation. The recovery of the island started from its historical and cultural heritage and the revival of traditional crafts and goldsmithery, involving young people. Two islands, two different resilience stories.
Highlights
Several studies referred to resilience as a key component in the understanding of small islands’ socioenvironmental momentum (Molina 2018, Scandurra et al 2018, Trundle et al 2019, Bangwayo-Skeete and Skeete 2020). This debate brought back to the specific case of the Maldives, highlights three extremely relevant aspects: a) the need for the integration between the description of national environmental governance systems and the observation of spatial dynamics at local scale; b) the discussion of the dialectic between island vulnerability and island resilience as a driver to overcome the pervasive character of the Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) paradigm (Malatesta, Schmidt of Friedberg 2017); c) the opportunity, through the study of resilience enhancement strategies, to have a look at the materialisation of the contemporary ideologies of develoment
The “blue economy”, in particular as regards food security and sustainable fisheries policies, and the environmental and social consequences of climate change, are among the priorities on the political agenda of Small Island States (SIS): we must remember that the islands that “hold the keys to the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)” are, geographically speaking, coral atolls, whose physical characteristics include a high rate of erosion and are seriously threatened by major stresses on coral reefs (Schmidt di Friedberg, Malatesta 2020)
The fact of being a fishing hub at supra-local level ensures that Meedhoo plays a central role, which is of fundamental importance to diminishing a major threat to the local islands’ economies and societies: slipping into a dynamic of isolation or, even worse, being considered a subordinate periphery
Summary
Several studies referred to resilience as a key component in the understanding of small islands’ socioenvironmental momentum (Molina 2018, Scandurra et al 2018, Trundle et al 2019, Bangwayo-Skeete and Skeete 2020) This debate brought back to the specific case of the Maldives, highlights three extremely relevant aspects: a) the need for the integration between the description of national environmental governance systems and the observation of spatial dynamics at local scale; b) the discussion of the dialectic between island vulnerability and island resilience as a driver to overcome the pervasive character of the Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) paradigm (Malatesta, Schmidt of Friedberg 2017); c) the opportunity, through the study of resilience enhancement strategies, to have a look at the materialisation of the contemporary ideologies of develoment. The local documents (e.g. Land Use Plans) were collected (both printed and electronic versions) thanks to the collaboration with local authorities
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