8 December 2025: UNDP Maldives, together with the Government of Australia, convened the inception workshop for the CORAL – Conserving Reefs through Adaptation and Livelihoods (2025–2030) project, marking the formal start of a five-year effort to protect coral reefs, strengthen climate resilience, and expand renewable energy access across the Maldives. The AUD 5 million initiative is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 

The workshop brought together government counterparts, research institutions, civil society organisations, and local councils to align on priorities, implementation plans, and collaboration frameworks. It also reaffirmed the deepening partnership between UNDP and Australia—one that has grown from governance and institutional strengthening into the urgent arenas of environmental protection and climate action. 

Aligned with the Maldives’ national strategy for climate resilience, CORAL will focus on three core areas: 

• Enhancing Nature Parks through sustainable master planning, improved climate-resilient infrastructure, and natural capital accounting to support inclusive economic growth. 
• Strengthening Coral Reef Conservation by building national and local capacity, conducting restoration needs assessments, and scaling innovative, low-cost restoration technologies. 
• Supporting a 100% Renewable Energy Transition in a small island community through the deployment of solar PV systems, training of women technicians, and establishing unified solar-powered EV charging stations. 

The inception workshop gathered a broad coalition of partners—including the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the Maldives Marine Research Institute, atoll and island councils, Maldives National University, Utility Regulatory Authority and Environmental Regulatory Authority, and key civil society organisations—to ensure coordinated action from the outset. 

The CORAL project is expected to contribute to long-term environmental sustainability, gender equality, and economic diversification, demonstrating how nature-based solutions and clean energy can drive national resilience.