Description
The Maldives, an atoll island state in the Indian Ocean, faces acute existential threats from climate change, including sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events that endanger its tourism and fisheries-based economy. Maldives’ 80 per cent of its land lies less than one metre above sea level, with much of its population and infrastructure concentrated within 100 metres of the coast. These risks compound socio-economic vulnerability, threatening livelihoods, infrastructure, and national sovereignty.
This paper examines how the Maldives has addressed its climate-induced vulnerabilities through the lens of climate politics between 2008 and 2025. It analyses shifts in domestic and international climate policies under successive administrations from Mohamed Nasheed to Mohamed Muizzu. It is situating them within broader debates on small-state agency and structural dependence in the Global South. The study advances two hypotheses: first, that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) must adopt a more assertive, rights-based approach to safeguard survival; and second, that institutional fragility and donor dependency constrain autonomous climate action.
This study uses a mixed-method case study approach. This paper draws on policy documents, government reports, and academic literature to explain how the Maldivian state navigates the intersection of vulnerability, diplomacy, and political agency amid shifting global power dynamics.
Keywords: Maldives, Climate Politics, SIDS, Global South, Environmental Vulnerability, Adaptation
