The government, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has launched the Maldives Impact-Based Forecast Programme to boost the country’s climate resilience and disaster response capabilities.
At the program’s launch, the Minister of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy, Thoriq Ibrahim, emphasized the vital importance of climate research and action while expressing concern over past neglect of the sector. He noted the declining state of the Maldives Meteorological Service (Met Office) after years of inadequate attention.
Minister Thoriq highlighted that despite past improvement initiatives, neglected infrastructure has led to many Met Office facilities becoming unusable. Additionally, he pointed out that the Doppler weather radar – a critical tool for air travel covering 45% of the country’s territory – has sustained damage. The Minister pledged to rebuild and relocate the radar system to Addu City, with an estimated completion timeline of two years.
Furthermore, Minister Thoriq revealed that out of 44 automatic weather stations installed in atolls between 2013 and 2018, only 12 remain operational. He indicated that the government is working to repair the damaged stations.
The Minister reiterated his commitment to revitalizing climate research and developing human resources in the sector. Emphasizing the role of climate information in everyday life, he underlined the need to adapt and modernise the field in order to better tackle current challenges.
