Reducing risk of beach erosion in Maldives Comparative case study of authority´s adaptive capacity in Laamu atoll

Abstract: The low-lying island nation Maldives is vulnerable to sea level rise and beach erosion. This study is a comparative case study investigating national, regional and local authorities risk reduction and adaptation work of beach erosion on two local islands and one resort island in Laamu atoll, Maldives. The aim of the study is to investigate if the authorities risk reduction works differ depending on if it is a resort island or a local island, if there are any gaps in the authorities’ adaptive work and if they are prioritizing any specific kind of measures. In the study capacity analyses are carried out for each island based on Wamsler’s theoretical and operational framework. The authorities’ adaptation measures are mapped out and categorized based on the initial risk factors the measures are intended to reduce. Furthermore the interaction between the authorities and the resort operator and local people on the selected islands are also analyzed by comparing the result of a parallel study carried out by Borgudd (2014). The main method used in the study is a qualitative semi structured interview method where officials and councilors were interviewed at the three authority levels. By analyzing the capacity analyses it shows that the authorities’ adaptation work for the local islands Maavah and Maamendhoo are similar compared to the resort island Six Senses Laamu. Compared to the investigated local islands authorities have taken fewer adaptation measures on the resort island. This may be because resort islands have to undertake and pay for their own protection measures. The authorities lack economic resources to prevent beach erosion on the two local islands. In general all authority levels need to improve their risk reduction work against beach erosion because they are now mostly focusing on hazard reduction and avoidance measures.