Maldives Signs Agreement with Nippon Koei for Coastal Conservation under Climate Resilience Project

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The Ministry of Tourism and Environment has signed a contract with Nippon Koei Co., Ltd to provide consulting services for the implementation of coastal conservation measures under the Building Climate Resilient Safer Islands in the Maldives project.

Jointly implemented by the Government of Maldives and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is funded by both the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and JICA. It aims to establish long-term, sustainable solutions to protect coastal communities and critical infrastructure from erosion and coastal disasters.

Civil works will be undertaken on four priority islands identified for intervention — Addu City Meedhoo, Laamu Fonadhoo, Laamu Gan, and Laamu Isdhoo.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the project includes significant policy and capacity-building components, such as formulating a national coastal protection policy, preparing island-level protection plans, and creating a data collection and monitoring system for long-term coastal management. The Ministry confirmed that preliminary erosion control designs for the four islands have been completed and a draft national policy has already been reviewed by key stakeholders.

Under the newly signed contract, Nippon Koei will be responsible for finalising detailed designs, conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), assisting with procurement, supervising civil works, and providing technical training for ministry staff.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, State Minister Abdulla Ziyad, who represented the Ministry, stated that detailed designs are expected to be completed within six months, with construction scheduled to begin next year following the selection of contractors.