Ms. Kyla Matias, Climate Change Officer from the Climate Change, Resilience and Environment Cluster of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, and Ms. Maria Anna C. Qrquiza, Senior Public Management Officer (Disaster Risk Management), paid a courtesy call to Dr. Ibrahim Waheed, Project Manager of the Digital Maldives for Adaptation, Decentralization and Diversification (DMADD) project. The meeting was held at the National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT).

Joining Dr. Waheed from the DMADD team were Mr. Ahmed Haleem, Communications Specialist, and Ms. Fathimath Shafa Hussain, Project Officer.

The meeting centred on introducing the DMADD project and exploring potential avenues for collaboration with ADB’s sustainability and resilience initiatives in the Maldives. The ADB team shared updates on their ongoing support for the Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS), including the establishment of weather stations, flood risk management efforts, and coastal protection programs. They also highlighted community-focused initiatives such as capacity building and infrastructure upgrades for urban farming, particularly at the Hanimaadhoo Agricultural Centre (HAC).

Dr. Waheed emphasized the strong potential for collaboration and provided an overview of DMADD’s key components—particularly Component 3, which includes pilots such as the Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Fuvahmulah City and the Data Platform for Climate Action. The platform aims to facilitate structured data exchange between agencies through standardized formats, governance policies, and system integration.

He also shared the success of the Maldives Ocean Hackathon, a completed pilot that brought together IT and environmental experts to develop innovative solutions for environmental management. Additionally, he discussed the ongoing Passive Acoustic Monitoring pilot for reef restoration, conducted in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Dr. Waheed stressed the importance of inclusive collaboration, citing DMADD’s direct engagement with beneficiaries such as the Fuvahmulah City Council. He noted that while the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy is the primary beneficiary, local councils will receive access to data and facilities to ensure community-level impact.

The ADB team expressed interest in developing an Early Warning System tailored to the agriculture sector. Both teams discussed the importance of aligning donor-funded projects to avoid duplication and maximize impact. Dr. Waheed cautioned against siloed approaches and advocated for synergy-driven collaboration to ensure sustainable and practical solutions for the public.

Before concluding, Dr. Waheed highlighted DMADD’s legislative efforts to create an enabling environment for digital transformation. These include the drafting of the Personal Data Protection Bill and the Cybersecurity Bill—critical frameworks for safeguarding data use. He also emphasized the need for capacity building within key institutions such as NCIT and the National Cyber Security Agency.