The Maldives consists of about 1,190 small coral islands spread across roughly 90,000 square kilometers in the Indian Ocean, with a population of around 400,000 people dispersed across the islands. Most islands have populations under 1,000 people. Localizing the SDGs is challenging due to this dispersed population across many small islands. A new local planning methodology was developed in 2016 to guide local development based on the SDGs. Key partnerships for localization include working with local councils and civil society organizations on each island.

1. Maldives
Localizing SDGs for a Dispersed Population

2. Maldives
• Approximately 1,190 island
• 26 ring-like atolls
• Spreads across 90,000 square
kilometres
• The total population is approximately
400,000, including over 59,000
migrant workers
• Average ground-level elevation of 1.5
meters
• 116 of 188 administrative islands have
populations of below 1000
• 3 Islands with population above
10,000

3. Regional Inequalities

4. Regional inequalities
• Factors contributing to falling into
poverty:
• Proportion of household members not
working due to bad health
• Number of young household members
• Living in the northern regions

5. Regional inequalities – access to health
services

6. Regional inequalities – education and
employment opportunities

7. The Main Challenge for Localization
Maldives has no Long Term Plan Development, a Medium Term Development Plan
nor a Strategic Action Plan for the country
The country is dependent on Political Party Manifestos

8. Two Key Partnerships for localization
1. Local Councils or Municipalities
2. Civil Society

9. Subnational Level Planning
The constitution of Maldives states that the administrative divisions of the
Maldives shall be administered decentrally
The decentralization act of the stipulates that every local is expected to develop a
five year development plan, based on the National Development Plan

10. New Local Planning Methodology
• In 2016, a new planning methodology for local councils was
developed
• The planning process identifies the role of island councils in planning
and managing mitigation, resilience and adaptation.
• It proposed a participatory and inclusive approach and the
importance of involving all the relevant stakeholders, as well as
women’s role in Island development and enabling their participation
in the planning process.

11. New Local Planning Methodology
• Thirteen local thematic areas based on the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG’s) was formed to guide local level development policy

12. Local Planning Methodology
1. Self Sufficiency and Food Security
2. Good Health and Wellbeing
3. Quality Education and Vocational Skills
4. Gender Equality
5. Clean water, sanitation and people centered habitat
6. Electricity and Clean Energy
7. Increasing Jobs and achieving Economic Growth
8. Industry and Infrastructure
9. Peace and Equality
10. Resource mapping and responsible production
11. Disaster Risk Reduction
12. Land and Marine Resources
13. Partnership for Results

13. Engaging the Grassroots
1. There are over 1000 registered
Civil Society Organizations across
the country
2. Nearly 300 are active
3. Every Single Island has an
organization based in the island
The Government of Maldives has
taken the initiative to develop a
platform to engage Civil Society
Organization in the Implementation
of the SDGs

14. Engaging the Grassroots
Through this engagement;
• Island specific initiatives based on goals
are being identified
• Island specific challenges related to goals
are being identified
• Community input from individual islands
are being provided for the national
prioritization process
In the future it is envisioned that this
engagement and partnership will allow
for the development of island specific
set of indicators to help identify, and
bring attention to, the issues that are
most pressing in the local context

15. Data Revolution
• The Geographical Setting makes data collection costly
• Maldives has one of the highest teledensity rate in the world standing
at 249%
• The whole country has 3G coverage
• Government with development partners are exploring ways to use ICT
to reduce cost and improve accuracy of data collection from remote
islands