Maldives Research Articles

A Case Report of Neonatal posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in a premature infant.

Background: Neurosurgical services in the Maldives began around five years ago, but the first neurosurgical center is responsible for various emergency and clinical neurosurgical services. Published literature on neurosurgery from the Maldives Islands is limited. It is imperative to report unique cases from isolated countries to promote diversity for readers across the globe. Case Presentation: We present a case of a ventriculo-subgaleal shunt placement in an extremely premature male baby with intra-ventricular hemorrhage, causing communicating hydrocephalus born at 22 weeks of gestation weighing 600 grams to a young primigravida. The shunt was performed in the first month of life (780 grams) for communicating hydrocephalus secondary to the germinal matrix bleed into the ventricles. Conclusion: Ventriculo-subgalel shunt under local anesthesia is a promising measure to treat hydrocephalus in pre-term very low birth weight infants secondary to germinal matrix hemorrhage.

Liardetia samoensis (Mousson, 1865) (Stylommatophora: Microcystidae): another hothouse mollusc new to Britain and the first record of this species outside Asia

Living populations of Liardetia samoensis have been observed over nine years in a hothouse in the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley, England. The identification has been confirmed by COI mtDNA sequencing. This species was first discovered in the Pacific island of Samoa in 1861/62 and has subsequently only been reported from other Pacific islands, from Singapore, and from the Laccadive and Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean. This is the first report of this species living outside Asia.

Impact of bathymetry on Indian Ocean circulation in a nested regional ocean model

The Regional Indian Ocean model based on Modular Ocean Model (MOM4p1) was used to understand the importance of a realistic representation of bathymetry on Ocean General Circulation. The model has 1/4° uniform horizontal resolution and is forced with Coordinated Ocean-Ice Reference Experiments (CORE-II) inter-annual forcing with two simulations named BLND (realistic bathymetry) and OM3 (smoothed bathymetry), which only differ in the representation of bathymetry for the years 1992–2005. We also used recent reanalysis products from ORAS5 and SODA3 and ADCP observation to compare the subsurface currents. We show that by the inclusion of realistic bathymetry, there is a significant improvement in the upper ocean salinity, temperature, and currents, particularly near the coast. The salinity and temperature of the upper ocean are very close to the observed value near the coast. The bias in the salinity and temperature was reduced to half in BLND simulation compared to OM3, which led to a more realistic East India Coastal Current (EICC). We show the first evidence of a basin-wide cyclonic gyre over the Bay of Bengal at 1000 m depth during spring, which is just opposite to that of a basin-wide anti-cyclonic gyre at the surface. We found the presence of poleward EICC during spring at 1000 m and 2000 m depth, which is opposite to that of the surface. The presence of this deeper EICC structure is completely absent during fall. We show the presence of a boundary current along the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Island at a depth of 2000 m. The observed Wyrtki Jet (WJ) magnitude and spatial structure are most realistically reproduced in BLND simulation as compared to OM3 simulations. Both ORAS5 and SODA reanalysis products underestimate the WJ magnitude. The presence of the Maldives Islands is responsible for the westward extent of Equatorial Under Current (EUC). The presence of Maldives also creates wakes on the leeward side in the EUC zonal current. During fall, EUC is better defined in the eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean and lies at a depth of between 50 and 100 m, unlike its spring counterpart, in which its core is located slightly deeper, between 100 and 150 m depth. During peak summer months, June–July, a strong eastward zonal jet is present at 1000 m depth, similar to Wyrtki Jet (WJ). Inter-monsoon Jets, i.e., spring and fall jets, are also seen but are in the opposite direction, i.e., westward, unlike eastward in WJ.

THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC DA'WAH AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SHARIA ON THE EXISTENCE OF MUSLIMS IN THE MALDIVES ISLANDS PAST AND PRESENT

Writing this article aims to explain the development of Islamic da'wah in the Maldives Islands, which is unique and rarely found in other Muslim regions. So far, the Maldives is only known as a tourist spot. It is rarely known that all of the Maldives adhere to Islam. The British have also ruled the Maldives for 78 years, influencing the Maldives to some extent. What is the form of da'wah carried out by Abu al-Barakat, whose origins are still debated by historians? But what is clear is that he had a significant influence on the spread of Islam in the Maldives Islands, which is corroborated by classical sources such as the text attributed to Ibn Battuta and several contemporary books. We conducted a literature study on this paper, with a historical approach, by collecting data, verifying and analyzing the data thoroughly, and rewriting the results of the analysis inductively in a qualitative descriptive form. Islam spread in the Maldives peacefully without violence and continues to survive from Christian missionaries and Shiite sects who come to spread their views. Scholars say about the fiqh theory that faith in conscience will not be changed by the sins and heresies it commits.

Perceptions of Leprosy in the Maldives: A cross-sectional study

The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding leprosy. A cross sectional survey of a nationally representative sample was implemented among the resident adult population (18 years and above) across the islands of Maldives. The survey sample size estimated was 1181 and a total of 1024 respondents completed the survey accounting for a response rate of 86.7%. The questions to measure indicators of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding leprosy were adopted from existing validated instruments used for leprosy KAP studies. The findings show a low level of knowledge with a mean of 3.5 in the KAP measure, where the maximum score is eight. However, the attitude and practices score does not indicate a high level of negative attitudes and practices (below the mid-point). The mean score of EMIC-CSS is 12, slight inclination towards less negative attitudes (EMIC-CSS scale scores ranges from zero = no negative attitudes, to 30 = most negative attitudes). The mean score of SDS is 8.9 indicating moderate level of negative practices (SDS scale scores ranges from zero = no negative practices to 21 = most negative practices). As Leprosy in the Maldives is no longer a public health burden, and the disease prevalence is extremely low, it has created a situation where there is very little awareness and correct knowledge about the disease among the public as well as health care workers. The attitudes and practices from the family and community are not at alarming levels in terms of stigma and social distancing. However, the low level of knowledge raises the concern that cases may be missed and as patients may be missed as they may not seek healthcare for early diagnosis and treatment

Invasive alien plants in South Asia: Impacts and management

South Asia is home to an immense diversity of flora and fauna, which makes it one of the global biodiversity hotspots. Plant invasions are one of several factors that threaten South-Asian biodiversity. This review lists problematic invasive plant species, analyses their negative impacts, and summarises management methods implemented in South Asia using data obtained from research articles and relevant databases (CABI, GISD, GloNAF). The data was used to evaluate the research trends over time, knowledge of the impacts of invasive plants, and management measures aimed at the invasive species. In total, 392 currently invasive vascular plant species were recorded in South Asia. Of these, 41 species are widely distributed in South Asia, occurring in at least three countries, and 20 species that are listed as invasive in South-Asian countries by the book Invasive Plant Species of the World are considered as the most problematic. For a subset of the most problematic species where such information is available, we present management measures that are in place in individual countries. The number of studies on invasive species in South Asia has been increasing, with more than half (53%) represented by local and regional inventories. Among the countries in South Asia, India has the highest number of invasive (145) and naturalized plant species (471). However, the percentage contribution of invasive and naturalized species to the native flora is the highest in the Maldives Islands. Studies on impacts are limited to those on native plants and agriculture; there is a lack of research on impacts on ecosystems and hydrology, as well as on economic costs and human health. Moreover, impacts have been quantified for very few species. Currently, the management of invasive plants is mostly done by physical or mechanical methods; research into opportunities for biological control is inadequate. Our review highlights the urgent need to quantify the impacts of all prevalent and problematic invasive species in South Asia as a crucial step in allocating resources for their management and addressing the knowledge gap in this region.

Does tidal phase determine successful plant colonisation of atoll lagoon islands in the Maldives?

Vegetation colonisation is an important process in the geomorphic development of atoll lagoon islands and understanding how plants establish may help model how these islands will respond to eustatic sea-level rise. The recent morphodynamics of two lagoon island forms, Maaodagalaa, a sand cay, and Mahutagalaa, a forested island, in Huvadhoo Atoll, Republic of the Maldives, provided an exceptional opportunity to examine processes of plant colonisation over annual to decadal time scales. Maaodagalaa sand cay migrated on the reef platform between June 2019 and February 2020 resulting in a new plant-free surface close to sea-level. During this period the new island surface was colonised by 10 species of marine-dispersed plant species. Seedlings were found across the highest surfaces formed in that period (0.62 m above local datum and 0.48 m above the highest tides recorded between 1987 and July 2020). An inundation event in February 2020 stranded debris up to 0.50 m above spring high tide, 15 m inland of the northern margin of the island. Our results indicate wave events, resulting from local, fetch-limited waves, in combination with spring high tides, can strand seeds of marine-dispersed plants on sand cays and around the margins of forested islands. Seedling survival is enhanced if seeds are stranded during peak perigean spring high tides during a local 7-month spring tide cycle. Lagoon islands in the Maldives are still being formed and colonised by plants despite local and ongoing sea-level rise.

Meso-mechanical anisotropy and fracture evolution of reef limestones from the Maldives Islands and the South China Sea

Reef limestone is a biogenic sedimentary rock widely distributed in coral reef areas, acting as an important foundation for coast construction. Due to its special biogenic origin, reef limestone is different from conventional rocks both in terms of rock structure and mechanical properties. In this study, mesoscale uniaxial compression experiments with five different loading directions were conducted on two kinds of reef limestones from the Maldives Islands and the South China Sea, respectively. The real-time high-resolution videos and images of failure processes were recorded simultaneously to investigate the fracture evolution and fracture surface roughness of reef limestones. It demonstrated that the reef limestones belonged to extremely soft to soft rocks, and their uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) values fluctuated with high discreteness. The mesoscale mechanical properties of reef limestones were highly anisotropic and mainly controlled by pore structure. The occurrence of dissolution pores in reef limestone tended to intensify mechanical anisotropy. With the integration of the fracture initiation and propagation features of reef limestones, it is supposed that the intrinsic mechanism of anisotropy was probably attributed to the differences in coral growth direction and dissolution. Furthermore, the quantified fracture surface roughness was revealed to have a good consistency with density and UCS for the reef limestones from the South China Sea. The findings are helpful for providing theoretical and experimental references for engineering construction in coral reef areas.

Cannons for the Coast: Reading Seventeenth-Century Southeast Bengal from the Maldives Islands

Abstract Professor Shigeru Akita’s important publications focus on British imperial history and global history, and highlight his use of the copious colonial archives. While not denying the importance of colonial archives for scholars, this essay explores the role of precolonial archives in understanding the history of a person, place, or region, underlining the archives’ importance but also pointing to some of the difficulties associated with their use when southeast Bengal of the early seventeenth-century is the topic. Moving away from the dispatches, letters, and consultations that constitute the “reality” of colonial South Asia, and using early modern travel narratives and maps instead, it shows a different spatial othering that arises through a faulty understanding of the pulling forces of shared connections. Events demonstrate the influence of factors other than geographic proximity, and instead of emphasizing sovereign states, as does cartography, they reveal mnemonic commercial and cultural itineraries linking distant places such as the southeast Bengal-Arakan (Bangladesh-Myanmar) coast and the Maldives Islands.

Comparative assessment of offshore floating photovoltaic systems using thin film modules for Maldives islands

Floating photovoltaic systems has a high potential for large-scale power generation when introduced on the offshore location. These systems help to boost the renewable power generation in islands with minimal land availability. In this context, this study presents the electrical performance of offshore floating photovoltaic systems in Maldives Islands. Offshore floating photovoltaic systems of 5 MW installed capacity using thin-film modules were considered for implementation on four offshore locations. Numerical analyses were carried out to assess the electrical performance of the systems and the results were compared with floating photovoltaic system at a lake and a ground mounted photovoltaic system. The results revealed that the thin film-based offshore floating photovoltaic systems increase the annual energy yield by 13 % and 14 % compared to that of pontoon mounted and ground mounted systems, respectively. The performance ratio of the offshore systems was higher than that of other systems, with the maximum value of 87.10 % and annual energy yield of 8.74 GWh. The cost analysis indicates that the cost of ground mounted system is 72 % higher than that of floating systems. The carbon footprint analysis revealed that the offshore systems can reduce the carbon emission by about 14 % higher than that of other systems.

Updating the list of flower-visiting bees, hoverflies and wasps in the central atolls of Maldives, with notes on land-use effects.

Maldives islands host a unique biodiversity, but their integrity is threatened by climate change and impacting land-uses (e.g. cemented or agricultural areas). As pollinators provide key services for the ecosystems and for the inhabitants, it is crucial to know which pollinators occur in the islands, to characterise their genetic identity and to understand which plants they visit and the size of the human impact. Given that no significant faunistic surveys of Hymenoptera have been published for the country in more than 100 years and that Syrphidae were only partly investigated, we sampled islands in the central part of the Maldives country (Faafu and Daahlu atolls) and hand-netted flower-visiting bees, wasps and hoverflies (Hymenoptera: Anthophila, Crabronidae, Sphecidae, Vespidae, Scoliidae and Diptera: Syrphidae). Overall, we found 21 species; 76.4% of the collected specimens were Anthophila (bees), 12.7% belonged to several families of wasps and 10.8% of individuals were Syrphidae. It seems that one third of species are new for the Maldives, based on the published literature. Human land-uses seem to shape the local pollinator fauna since the assemblages of bees, wasps and hoverflies from urbanised and agricultural islands differed from those in resort and natural ones. These pollinators visited 30 plant species in total, although some invasive plants hosted the highest number of flower visitor species. Biogeographically, this pollinating fauna is mostly shared with Sri Lanka and India. Genetically, the used marker hinted for a unique fauna in relation to the rest of the distribution ranges in most cases, although generally within the level of intraspecific genetic variation. This study significantly contributes to increasing the knowledge on the pollinator diversity and genetic identity in Maldives islands also considering the important implications for the islands' land-use and the role of invasive plants. This study will be pivotal for future pollination studies and biodiversity conservation efforts in the region.

DNA metabarcoding unveils the effects of habitat fragmentation on pollinator diversity, plant-pollinator interactions, and pollination efficiency in Maldive islands.

Habitat fragmentation affects biodiversity, but with unclear effects on pollinators and their interactions with plants in anthropized landscapes. Islands could serve as open air laboratories, suitable to disentangle how land-use alteration impacts pollination ecology. In Maldive islands we investigated how pollinator richness, plant-pollinator interactions and pollination efficiency are influenced by the green area fragmentation (i.e., gardens and semi-natural patches). Moreover, we considered the mediating role of pollinator body size and the plant trait of being invasive in shaping interactions. To do this, we surveyed pollinator insects from 11 islands representing a gradient of green area fragmentation. A DNA metabarcoding approach was adopted to identify the pollen transported by pollinators and characterize the plant-pollinator interactions. We found that intermediate levels of green area fragmentation characterized pollinator communities and increased their species richness, while decreasing interaction network complexity. Invasive plants were more frequently found on pollinator bodies than native or exotic noninvasive ones, indicating a concerningly higher potential for pollen dispersal and reproduction of the former ones. Intriguingly, pollinator body size mediated the effect of landscape alteration on interactions, as only the largest bees expanded the foraging diet in terms of plant richness in the transported pollen at increasing fragmentation. In parallel, the pollination efficiency increased with pollinator species richness in two sentinel plants. This study shows that moderate landscape fragmentation of green areas shapes many aspects of the pollination ecosystem service, where despite interactions being less complex and mediated by pollinator body size, pollinator insect biodiversity and potential plant reproduction are supported.

Sustainable Tourism and Housing Development for Panggang Island, Seribu Islands Jakarta: Learning from Maldives' Sustainable Tourism Development

In 2016, Indonesia's tourism sector contributed 4 per cent of the Indonesian Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2019, the Indonesian Government wants to increase the tourism contribution to 8 per cent of GDP, requiring 20 million tourist visits. Ten "New Bali" destinations have been developed by President Jokowi, including the Seribu Islands Regency. Seribu Islands, located in Jakarta Capital Region, has various potentials and problems, such as economic disparity, rising seawater levels, declining fisheries production, limited water resources, and environmental pollution. Some Neighborhood Units (Rukun Warga) in the Seribu Islands are slums, including Panggang Island. Therefore, an Integrated Kampung Improvement (Muhammad Husni Thamrin Plus Program) was proposed. This study is prepared to identify potential concepts for spatial rezoning of Panggang Island, integrating sustainable tourism and housing neighbourhood redevelopment. The research problems are how can the community create a healthier and safer home, how can the sustainable 'tourist lodge' model in Panggang Island, and what concept of spatial rezoning of Panggang Island can be proposed. To understand the integration of tourism and residential development, we conducted Case Study Research (CSR) to learn from the Maldives Islands and implemented a qualitative approach of Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis for Panggang Island. Based on the SWOT, we propose a rezoning concept for sustainable Panggang Island, integrating potential tourism zones, new fisher's housing zones, polder infrastructures, utilities, and green zones. Further, in the COVID-19 Era, an additional review on personal tourism was conducted to propose sustainable tourism activities on the Panggang Island while reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Migration, Dignity, Fragility, and Pandemics

Migration is dynamic and varies greatly across the globe due to myriad factors, including demography, economy, geography, and environment. As people move, a number of challenges exist that can leave human rights and human dignity as an afterthought to the migration process. This special issue provides a legal and policy framework for supporting “migration with dignity,” providing examples of how to apply this framework across a number of contexts, including climate change, the migration cycle, and pandemics. COVID-19 has drastically changed mobility and migration in key spheres, such as transportation, travel, construction, and hospitality. Our research for this special issue was conducted between 2020 and 2021; therefore, we had the opportunity to witness a once-in-a-century global pandemic with direct impacts on migration inflows and outflows. Consequently, we have included pandemics as a key theme for consideration in this issue, believing that the research agenda should be informed by the assessment of impacts in both the atoll countries and in the United States – the most common “destination” of Pacific Islanders. This additional research revealed the vulnerabilities of migrants in the destination countries and in their home countries, vulnerabilities that would not otherwise have been apparent. Our research was also directly impacted by the pandemic. We intended to conduct field research in countries such as the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Republic of Maldives, with the RMI and FSM serving as countries of “origin” for migration to the United States. In the Maldives, there is a large domestic migration from the atolls to the newly constructed man-made islands. We experienced research and travel limitations due to COVID-19, where many countries have adopted strict isolation policies to prevent the spread of disease. Therefore, we had to conduct our surveys remotely using the Internet or by asking collaborators living in the area to conduct surveys on our behalf. Our special issue also touches on the issue of the intergenerationality of immigrants in terms of how migrants adapt or assimilate into the receiving society, and how the mass media plays a role in the perceptions of migrants and the perceived problems associated with immigration by host countries. Many opportunities remain for further exploration and research, including how migration has changed in the post-pandemic world. We intend to pursue these opportunities in 2022 and beyond.

Reef complexity influences distribution and habitat choice of the corallivorous seastar Culcita schmideliana in the Maldives

AbstractThe cushion seastar Culcita schmideliana has gained major attention in the last few years because of its selective predation on juvenile corals, as well as its ability to generate large demographic assemblages, causing delays in coral recovery after large mortality events in the Republic of Maldives. However, a lack of data regarding the factors affecting its distribution and habitat selection still persists in this area. Here, we adopted a novel approach in the study of corallivorous seastar habitat selection that combined ecological and digital photogrammetry data. In this regard, we tested 3 different parameters as factors influencing seastar habitat choice in the South-East region of Faafu Atoll, Republic of Maldives, namely prey abundance, Linear Rugosity Index (LRI), and Average Slope (AS). The analysis of selectivity coefficient (Ei) of seastars for different habitat types showed a preference for reefs characterized by medium AS values (Ei = 0.268), a LRI included between 2 and 2.5 (Ei = 0.180), and a juvenile coral density ranging between 10 and 20 colonies m−2 (Ei = 0.154). A multiple linear regression analysis showed that different AS and LRI values explained the 43.1% (R2 = 0.431, P = 0.007) and the 48.1% (R2 = 0.481, P = 0.024) of variance in seastars abundance, respectively, while juvenile coral densities did not significantly affect this (R2 = 0.132, P = 0.202). These results provide new information on the distribution and behaviour of an important corallivore of Maldivian reefs, such as C. schmideliana.

Seasonal M2 Internal Tides in the Arabian Sea

Internal tides play a crucial role in ocean mixing. To explore the seasonal features of mode-1 M2 internal tides in the Arabian Sea, we analyzed their propagation and energy distribution using along-track sea-level anomaly data collected by satellite altimeters. We identified four primary source regions of internal tides: Abd al Kuri Island, the Carlsberg Ridge, the northeastern Arabian Sea, and the Maldive Islands. The baroclinic signals that originate from Abd al Kuri Island propagate meridionally, whereas those originating from the west coast of India propagate southwestward. The strength and energy flux of the internal tides in the Arabian Sea exhibit significant seasonal and spatial variability. The internal tides generated during winter are more energetic and can propagate further than those generated in summer. Doppler shifting and horizontal variations in stratification can explain the differences in the internal tides’ seasonal distributions.

Marine Fouling Characteristics of Biocomposites in a Coral Reef Ecosystem

AbstractCoral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world. The diversity of life found in the habitats created by corals is so large that the reefs are known as the “rainforests of the sea.” Unfortunately, severe natural and anthropogenic changes such as ocean warming, acidification, coral diseases, and plastic pollution are extremely detrimental to this ecosystem. To enrich the ambient conditions of the corals and boost their growth, the potential of two biocomposites is evaluated based on biodegradable polyurethane and silicone matrices as scaffolds for the growth of oceanic organisms. Furthermore, their degradation is investigated within the coral reefs of Faafu Atoll, Republic of Maldives. The observations indicate that there are a significant number of organisms that settle and grow on these biocomposites in the Maldivian lagoon, both of an animal and photosynthetic nature. The biocomposites have the potential to become suitable scaffolds for diverse hard bottom fouling organisms. Moreover, the presence of coral larvae on the biocomposites suggests that during their biodegradation, these biocomposites can support the growth of organisms, generating a suitable environment for triggering the birth of new corals.

74-OR: Islet Autoantibodies in Youth with Diabetes from South Asia

The prevalence of diabetes in many South Asian countries is above 10%, but type 1 diabetes (T1D) is not fully characterized due to a lack of widespread access to islet autoantibody (IA) testing. Determining the prevalence of IA positivity in new and recent onset cases of childhood diabetes in these countries will allow for improved classification of diabetes and may impact treatment. We measured IA directed against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GADA), insulinoma antigen-2 (IA-2A), insulin (IAA) and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8A) using fluid-phase radiobinding assays from dried blood spot eluents in children with diabetes from the Republic of Maldives (n=64), Bangladesh (n=103) and Pakistan (n=54). We compared the results to youth from our large diabetes Center in Colorado (n=132). South Asian children with clinically diagnosed T1D have a lower rate of positivity for each IA when compared to youth with T1D from Colorado (p<0.0001) (Figure). The majority of youth with T1D in each country were diagnosed at a young age, not overweight, and required insulin treatment. Interestingly, 52% of Bangladeshi youth are antibody negative (p<0.0001 compared to Colorado), yet 92% require insulin treatment, thus highlighting the need to investigate other forms of diabetes such as monogenic causes. Studying the phenotype of diabetes in youth across the globe provides an opportunity to dissect the heterogeneity within childhood onset diabetes.View largeDownload slideView largeDownload slide DisclosureK. Simmons: Other Relationship; Self; Provention Bio, Inc. E. M. Youngkin: None. A. Condie: None. A. Alkanani: None. K. Mcdaniel: None. L. Yu: None. G. D. Ogle: None. A. W. Michels: Stock/Shareholder; Self; IM Therapeutics.FundingNational Institutes of Health (K12DK094712-08)

Analysis of precise climate pattern of Maldives. A complex island structure

Republic of Maldives is located on the south and south-western region of the coast of India. The country is one of the most geographically dispersed nations in the world, with 1192 coral islands grouped into 26 natural atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean. A descriptive study of its climatic conditions is presented in this work. We have used geostatistical technique of kriging (described below) for the estimation of meteorological variables. Complexity related to the structure of the region, with diverse distribution of islands of varying sizes, is discussed in connection to the analysis. Climatic characteristics explored in the current work indicate the need for subsequent studies of seasonal patterns in climate change, especially temperatures and precipitation across the country, and also to identify the effect of extreme climatic conditions and natural disasters such as Tsunamis. The results do not show periodicity over the study period. It emphasizes that climatic patterns appearing in the study area must be analyzed more extensively over time, with the inclusion of a greater number of meteorological stations for precise spatio-temporal analysis.

How the Maldives Have Navigated Disease and Development

For centuries, malaria kept European colonial interests away from the Maldive islands, leaving the remote Indian Ocean island chain on a distinct and largely self-governed trajectory. Successful mosquito eradication in the twentieth century paved the way for development. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a new challenge to the economy, which is now heavily dependent on tourism. But resorts were able to reopen relatively quickly, since they are mostly set up on islands apart from those inhabited by local communities. The nation also has proved adept at finding ways to make tourism compatible with Muslim traditions, though imported harder-line Islamic ideology has raised tensions in recent years. Now the islanders must manage their entanglements with rival regional powers, as China and India compete to provide infrastructure.