The World Bank’s implementation and support mission for the D’MADD Project, scheduled for October 2023, met with various Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology departments regarding the climate data platform and the planned technology pilot projects to enhance resilience.

The meeting with the Maldives Environmental Protection Agency focused on the continuation of implementing a pilot project to use underwater acoustics. The pilot will work alongside the Restore Rasfari Reef project, which is planned to launch within a few weeks. The EPA will receive the technical expertise and capacity building to use the technology, thus strengthening the monitoring efforts remotely and reducing human intrusion and associated costs.

The meeting was led by Mr Jerome Bezzina (Task Team Leader), and Ms Anna Zita Metz, the (Program Officer) from the World Bank, with Dr Ibrahim Waheed ( Project Manager) and Ms Fathmath Shafa Hussain (Project Officer) representing the D’MADD Project.

Ms. Priyanka Dissanayake (Disaster Management Specialist) and Ms. Alice Soares (Hydromet Consultant) from the World Bank also joined the discussions.

The EPA team consisted of Mr. Yoosuf Rilwan (Director - Environment Research and Conservation), Mr. Riffath Naeem (Director – Technical), Mr. Ali Ahmed Didi (Computer Programmer), Mr. Hashim Nabeel (Senior Environment Analyst)

An additional meeting was held with the Ministry’s Water Department, Maldives Meteorological Service and the National Disaster Management Authority.

The organisations were represented by:

• Mohamed Musthafa / Director General – MoECCT• Afsal Hussain / Director – MoECCT• Sobah Rasheed / Assistant Director – MoECCT• Afnan Ahmed / Environment Research Officer – MoECCT• Juruath Abdulla / Strategist – MoECCT• Hazlee Hameed / Programme Officer - MoECCT• Ali Shareef / Deputy Director General - MMS• Ahmed Rasheed / Director (Meteorology) - MMS

The teams discussed the Early Warning System Pilot for flood detection in Fuvahmulah City and how the project can support the enhancement of an existing portal developed by the Water Department and another such app developed by NDMA.