Maldives

In addition, the Adopt-an-Island Initiative recently signed a funding agreement with the Government of Australia and has received a funding pledge from the Bush/Clinton Foundation. The UNDP Recovery Programme is also in the process of arranging Adopt-an-Island agreements with the Government of France, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry, and the United Arab Emirates Rotary Club.

Damage and losses:

There was an estimated $472 million worth of damage to the islands. The government has developed its own National Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which is available at www.tsunamimaldives.mv.

• 53 of 199 inhabited islands were severely devastated.
• There was $14 million worth of damage to the fisheries sector, which is a major provider of income, accounting for 11 percent of the country’s labor force.
• Over 50 islands lost their fishing boats. Health clinics, hospitals, and schools were damaged on 53 islands. Harbors, jetties and communications infrastructure were destroyed on one-third of the islands.
• Approximately 6,000 houses were left in need of repair or rebuilding
• 19 of the 83 operating resorts had to be shut down.
• Overall, there was $250 million direct and indirect damage to the tourism sector. Tourism accounts for one-third of the country’s GDP directly and more than 70 percent of GDP indirectly. Since the tsunami, there has been a 25 per cent downturn in the tourism industry.
• Approximately 45 health centres on the islands were damaged. (Source: UNCT, 17 June 2005).

Rebuilding homes  

• Construction is complete on Naalafushi Island, where UNDP, in collaboration with the Banyan Tree Resort, helped to repair or reconstruct 74 houses. The finalized project was handed over to the community in a ceremony on 12 June.
• Community contracts for the repair and reconstruction of more than 1300 homes on 20 islands have been established. The shelter project plans to repair and reconstruct over 2,700 houses on 59 islands
• Installation of 73 household water collection and storage tanks on Dhonfanu Island has been completed. Repair and reconstruction has begun on 73 shelters that were damaged by the tsunami. Work on water conservation and storage installation is planned for 20 islands. The work will also include sanitation/effluent disposal systems, household garbage disposal systems, and disposal of tsunami debris.
• On the island of K. Gulhi, construction of a warehouse is nearly completed, with materials supplied by UNDP.
• On K. Guraidhao, the construction of temporary shelters for house nine families has begun. Once the nine families settle in their permanent houses, the Island Women’s Committee will use these nine shelters.

Rehabilitating infrastructure  

• The project plans to repair critical infrastructure including harbours, jetties, quay walls, breakwaters/sea walls, and conduct harbour/channel deepening on 21 islands this year.
• The reconstruction of the damaged Eydhafushi Island harbour is now more than 50 percent completed.
• The design and contracting process have begun for the Meemu Atoll Islands of Dhiggaru, Muli, and Kolhufushi as well as Madhifushi in the Thaa Atoll, and Hulihudufushi in Raa Atoll.
• Repair of the breakwaters on the islands of Inguraidhoo and Maduvvaree in the Raa Atoll are in the procurement and tendering phase.
• A joint team from UNDP and the government has conducted detailed surveys on six islands and will be designing and tendering contracts for an additional 18 islands.

Restoring livelihoods  

• Agreements have been prepared for disbursement of grants and micro-finance for restoration of livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, through existing Atoll Development Funds. The project is awaiting final approval.
• Replacement of assets for income generation by women on 18 islands is in the procurement and tendering phase.
• Progress continues for the preparation of small grant agreements for the repair of fishing boats as well as for replacement of lost assets in agriculture.
• Initiatives for capacity building of community-based organizations at the island level are in the tendering and detail planning stage.

Disaster risk management  

UNDP is working towards development of a Disaster Risk Profile for the country and is helping to conduct an assessment for an Early Warning System for the Maldives. Through UNDP, 10 government officials were sent to India and Bangladesh to learn about and observe the disaster management policies, institutional mechanisms and the disaster management capacity of those countries. In addition, an assessment team for an Early Warning System from Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Japan, is currently completing an assessment in the Maldives.

Transparency and accountability

UNDP is working with the government on the Donor Assistance Database, an Internet site that will provide information on all tsunami recovery activities. The database is expecting to go live in mid-August 2005.

UNDP, Maldives to rebuild harbour at Eydafushi

10 May 2005: The man-made harbour at Eydafushi island in Baa Atoll, largely destroyed by last December’s tsunami, will be rebuilt as a result of an agreement signed today between UNDP and the Maldives Ministry of Atolls Development. The Baa Atoll lies north of the country’s capital city, Male.

The agreement is the first of a series of projects aimed at revitalizing the local economies of the various islands, and will improve the islanders access to essential services such as health and education. The tsunami, which destroyed piers, jetties and navigational aid, has made inter-island travel in the Maldives difficult.

Work on the project, which has been funded by Japan, is already ongoing and it is expected that construction to be completed before the end of September. The programme is being coordinated by the country’s Disaster Management Committee. The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation will also play a major role in rebuilding harbours and navigational aids.

Maldives gets firm support for tsunami recovery

17 March 2005: Representatives from donor countries, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies gave strong support to the country’s rebuilding plans at a meeting in Manila today and said they were firmly committed to assisting tsunami recovery efforts in Maldives. The donors said support will focus on rebuilding homes, reviving livelihoods, reconstructing infrastructure, and mitigating future disasters. UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Patrice Coeur-Bizot said the recovery effort should "take the country forward” beyond pre-tsunami development levels. More...

Private sector a partner in rebuilding homes

23 February 2005:  A partnership between Banyan Tree Resorts and UNDP is rebuilding damaged homes in Maldives in a most efficient and effective manner, according to UN Assistant Secretary-General Hafiz Pasha, Director of the UNDP Asia and the Pacific Bureau. The partnership is working in Nalafushi Island in the Meemu Atoll. Mr. Pasha, who is visiting on a tour of the tsunami-damaged region, said the island’s economy took an extraordinarily large hit, and many Maldivians have lost their two main sources of incomes, from fishing and gardening.  With the islands’ water sources contaminated by sea water, Mr. Pasha said fresh water supplies are scarce and that the problem requires urgent attention. More...

Maldives tsunami damages  put at $470 million

14 February: The December tsunami caused damages of about US$470 million in the Maldives, or close to two-thirds of the country’s economy, according to a preliminary tsunami disaster needs assessment released today by the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank.  Most of the losses were concentrated in housing and tourism.

The Maldives will need approximately $304 million to effectively rebuild from the tsunami, which devastated about 20 of the country’s 198 inhabited islands, and caused the evacuation of 14 islands.  Almost one third of the country's 300,000 people were directly affected by the tsunami, with nearly 12,000 people displaced and another 8,500 temporarily relocated within their own islands. About $120 million of external financing will be required in the short term over the next six months. More...

UNDP Looks to businesses to “Adopt-an-Island” programme

8 February 2005:–Private  businesses can “Adopt an Island” in the Maldives under a new UNDP initiative that was launched today that will accelerate efforts to rebuild or repair  the thousands of houses that were destroyed by the December tsunami.  The programme marks a concerted attempt by UNDP and the Maldives government to engage the private sector in the reconstruction of the islands’ devastated infrastructure. More...

Islands suffered more damage than reported

31 January 2005: Although the tsunami death toll was low in the Maldives, 10 percent of the country’s inhabited islands were completely destroyed, a third of the country’s people were displaced and the food supply was severely disrupted.  On the upside, most tourist facilities weathered the storm and are open for business.  More...

Maldives needs US$304 million for tsunami recovery and reconstruction

14 February 2005: The Maldives will need about US$304 million for recovery and reconstruction following the recent tsunami, according to a preliminary needs assessment that the Asian Development Bank, UNDP and the World Bank released today. More...

Tsunami sets Maldives development back 20 years

19 January 2005: The tsunami catastrophe has seriously affected Maldives' economic backbone, tourism, setting development back 20 years, according to government officials. "The disaster came only six days after the UN removed the Maldives from the list of least developed countries as it had paid off most of its debt and was looking forward to a strong performance in 2005, said Resident Representative Moez Doraid. More...

Private sector joins UNDP to rebuild homes in Maldives

12 January 2005: Banyan Tree Resorts, a Singapore-owned group, is teaming up with UNDP to rebuild houses in the Maldives, where the 26 December tsunami left 12,000 homeless. UNDP is providing building materials and the company's carpenters, plumbers and construction workers have begun building new homes for 291 people on Meemu atoll before the monsoon season begins in June. More...

Annan highlights Maldives' needs

11 January 2005: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan drew attention to the need for recovery assistance in Maldives today, after visiting the island nation, where the recent tsunami has severely affected a third of the population, killing 82 and making 12,000 homeless. Observing that the Maldives have "a special vulnerability because of the environment," Mr. Annan said the Small Island States’ meeting opening in Mauritius tomorrow will deal with such challenges. UNDP has asked for US$26 million to restore livelihoods, infrastructure and housing in the Maldives. More...

Relief coordination begins in Maldives

30 December 2004 : UNDP and the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team are working with the government in establishing a system to identify immediate needs and to track aid requirements and supply in the Maldives, where tidal waves on Sunday displaced 200,000 people, who now have no food, water or sanitation. Transport and logistics remain a huge challenge in emergency relief, as affected populations are found in more than 200 islands. More...