Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-resilienT communities (TRACT) – Strengthening climate services and impact-based multi-hazard early warning in Maldives

The report identifies significant gender disparities in the Maldives that affect climate resilience, noting that women face higher economic vulnerability due to lower labour force participation (48.4%) and a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. While the Maldives has a Gender Equality Act (2016), key environmental and disaster laws remain 'gender blind'. The assessment highlights gaps in EWS reach, particularly for the elderly, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and the 25% migrant population who face language barriers. It recommends integrating Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) into disaster management, expanding EWS messaging into multiple languages, and leveraging Women's Development Committees (WDCs) for local implementation.

• Women in the Maldives experience distinct economic vulnerabilities that hinder climate resilience, characterized by a labour force participation rate of 48.4% compared to 80% for men, and a higher prevalence in informal, lower-paid employment.
• There is a critical gap in the gender-responsiveness of national environmental and disaster legislation; the Disaster Management Act 2015 and the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act 1993 are classified as 'Gender Blind' because they do not account for differentiated gender roles or needs.
• Early Warning Systems (EWS) in the Maldives rely heavily on digital platforms like Viber (used by 80.5% of survey respondents), which creates accessibility gaps for the elderly, PWDs, and those with limited economic means to maintain technology.
• Language barriers significantly impede the effectiveness of EWS for the migrant population, which is estimated at approximately 25% of the total population, as alerts are currently provided in only two languages (Dhivehi and English).
• Gendered domestic roles, particularly the responsibility for water management and caregiving, increase women's vulnerability to health risks during climate-induced water shortages and flooding.
• Women are severely underrepresented in national political leadership, holding only 3.2% of seats in the Maldivian Parliament, which limits their influence over high-level disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate policy.
• The assessment identifies a lack of intersectional data, specifically regarding income levels, ethnic background, and household headship, which hampers the ability to design targeted EWS for the most vulnerable.
• Stakeholders report a significant knowledge gap regarding the practical application of EWS, with one-third of survey respondents rating their understanding of DRR and EWS as 'poor'.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2025). Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-resilienT communities (TRACT) – Strengthening climate services and impact-based multi-hazard early warning in Maldives. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/sap050-gender-assessment.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-resilienT communities (TRACT) – Strengthening climate services and impact-based multi-hazard early warning in Maldives. 2025. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/sap050-gender-assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-resilienT communities (TRACT) – Strengthening climate services and impact-based multi-hazard early warning in Maldives |date=3 July 2025 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/sap050-gender-assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2025toward, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-resilienT communities (TRACT) – Strengthening climate services and impact-based multi-hazard early warning in Maldives}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/sap050-gender-assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }