WMO launches Maldives ecosystem project to strengthen climate resilience
International initiative turns climate, ecosystem data into policy tools as low-lying Maldives confronts rising seas, erosion and habitat loss
MALÉ, Maldives (MNTV) — World Meteorological Organization is leading an international project to map fragile ecosystems across Maldives, seeking to give authorities island-specific data to respond to rising seas, coastal erosion and environmental degradation.
Project is being carried out as dedicated demonstrator under “iClimateAction” initiative, designed to bring climate and ecological research directly into government decision-making and adaptation planning.
According to WMO, initiative brings together Global Climate Observing System, Group on Earth Observations, James Cook University, Allen Institute for AI and United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, alongside Maldivian authorities.
Rather than producing environmental findings that remain in separate studies and reports, project is intended to combine scattered climate and ecosystem information into an integrated system that policymakers can use to identify environmental changes and plan responses.
Teams recently completed four weeks of field validation across Maldives, visiting islands and coastal areas to compare satellite-based ecosystem classifications and predictive models with conditions observed on ground.
During fieldwork, local and international specialists mapped ecosystem types and assessed vegetation, soil and water conditions.
Teams also documented habitat changes and degradation, allowing researchers to test whether classifications derived from satellite observations accurately reflected conditions across islands.
Project builds on ecosystem mapping carried out by International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2019 and continuing work with Group on Earth Observations’ Global Ecosystems Atlas, which is supported by Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Platform has now entered final technical review involving James Cook University, Allen Institute for AI and Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism and Environment.
Work includes harmonizing Essential Climate Variables identified by Global Climate Observing System with International Union for Conservation of Nature ecosystem standards.
Such detailed environmental information carries particular importance for Maldives because vulnerability can differ substantially between individual islands and ecosystems across sprawling archipelago.
Maldives comprises 1,192 low-lying islands scattered across Indian Ocean, with about 80% of its land less than one meter above sea level. Rising seas, coastal erosion and ecosystem degradation therefore pose long-term risks to communities, infrastructure and livelihoods.
WMO-backed project is intended to help authorities move beyond broad national climate assessments by providing more localized evidence about environmental conditions and changes affecting particular islands.
Organizers also see Maldives initiative as potential model for other Small Island Developing States, many of which face similar difficulties in translating satellite observations, climate measurements and ecological research into practical adaptation policies.
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