Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 low-lying islands, of which nearly 80% are less than one meter above sea level. Among these islands, 187 are inhabited, and an additional 200 islands operate as resort islands. Due to the substantial size of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), spanning approximately 859,000 square kilometers, compared to a land area of roughly 300 square kilometers, Maldives can be classified as a Large Ocean State. Like many other small island developing States (SIDS), Maldives is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Recently, global temperatures surpassed the critical threshold of 1.5°C, making last year the hottest on record. Such temperature increases have intensified climate-related hazards globally, disproportionately affecting countries such as Maldives.
Extreme weather events, including unpredictable rainfall patterns, flooding, and storm surges, have become more frequent, damaging critical infrastructure, disrupting transportation networks, and hindering economic activities, particularly fishing. Additionally, slow-onset phenomena such as sea-level rise threaten agriculture and fisheries, directly impacting the islands’ food security. This paper examines the specific challenges climate change poses to food security in Maldives, explores existing opportunities to build resilient food systems capable of adapting to and mitigating these impacts, and discusses the role of international diplomacy, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in addressing this issue.
Global food security encompasses three key dimensions: availability (sustainable production and distribution); utilization (nutritious and safe food); and stable access (including affordability). Climate change exacerbates the vulnerability of food systems by disrupting production, supply chains, and market stability. These challenges are further compounded by global disruptions, including geopolitical tensions from events such as the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, trade conflicts, and inflation. Combined, these factors have caused disruptions throughout food supply chains, ranging from production losses to significant delays or complete interruptions in transportation, leading to food shortages on global, regional, and local scales.
The Maldivian context: Food security amid climate change and global shocks
The Maldivian economy relies heavily on tourism and fishing, which together account for nearly 40% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while agriculture contributes only about 1.2%. The limited contribution of agriculture to GDP is primarily due to scarcity of arable land, the small size of the islands, and generally poor soil quality. Nonetheless, agriculture remains crucial for subsistence and local livelihoods, particularly on smaller islands, and thus plays an essential role in the country’s overall food security.
Of the approximately 512,122 residents in Maldives, around 41% reside in Malé, the capital city. Among the inhabited islands, approximately 40 islands have fewer than 500 residents, while the majority have populations ranging between 500 and 900 individuals. Maldives experiences distinct dry and monsoon seasons, each presenting unique challenges. Extreme heat, water scarcity, heavy rainfall, strong winds, and swell waves are frequent occurrences throughout the year. Geographic dispersion further complicates transportation and inter-island connectivity during adverse weather, directly affecting food availability. Despite these challenges, fishing remains the one area in which the country achieves relative self-sufficiency.
Due to its heavy dependence on imported food – accounting for over 90% of its total food supply – Maldives remains highly susceptible to external shocks, including climate-related disruptions in food-exporting countries. India serves as the primary source of food imports, supplying staples such as rice, flour, and sugar. Although Maldives has three commercial ports, the majority of imported goods arrive through Malé, making food prices particularly sensitive to transportation costs and disruptions. This vulnerability was clearly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic when international borders were closed, highlighting the need for concrete adaptation strategies and robust policy interventions to build resilient food systems.
Opportunities for building resilient food systems
Despite the challenges posed by climate change and global shocks, Maldives has identified and pursued opportunities to enhance resilience and adapt its food systems to these realities. The Maldivian government, for instance, has implemented subsidies on staple foods to ensure consistent affordability across the islands. Moreover, amendments to the Decentralization Act have empowered local island councils, granting them greater autonomy in managing local resources. Consequently, several island councils have allocated additional land for household-level agriculture, facilitating both subsistence farming and income generation through local markets or connections with resort islands and the Malé market.
Island councils also assist local businesses in stockpiling long shelf life foods to mitigate disruptions during extreme weather events. Despite advancements in weather prediction and early warning systems, local farmers and fishers still rely significantly on traditional knowledge and experiential insights to minimize damage to their livelihoods. Farmers, for instance, have identified crops more resistant to monsoon conditions, while fishermen continue to utilize lunar patterns to predict successful fishing opportunities. Integrating traditional knowledge with modern technological approaches can significantly enhance local food sovereignty, especially in vulnerable regions.
Additionally, innovative agricultural methods such as hydroponics, aquaponics, vertical farming, and the cultivation of saline-tolerant crops are becoming more prevalent in Maldives. These technologies optimize land and water usage, enable food production within confined spaces, and address issues of soil salinization. Incorporating renewable energy, particularly solar-powered desalination, further reduces dependency on external resources and enhances environmental sustainability. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the government established AgroNet, a state-owned enterprise designed to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting innovative agricultural practices. Government investments in reliable transportation networks, regional cold storage facilities, and strategic stockpiling of essential food commodities have significantly bolstered food security, especially evident during recent crises.
International cooperation and collective action
The challenges of food security under climate change clearly demonstrate the transboundary nature of the problem, underscoring the necessity of global collective action. Addressing climate-induced threats to food security requires a coordinated response from multilateral institutions, governments at all levels, NGOs, and the private sector. International organizations such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provide essential technical expertise, policy frameworks, and emergency relief capabilities. However, their effectiveness depends heavily on strengthened international collaboration and enhanced resource mobilization, enabling vulnerable countries to integrate climate resilience into their sustainable development plans.
Governments also play a critical role by establishing regulatory frameworks and policies that incentivize sustainable agricultural practices, facilitate adaptation, and embed climate resilience within national development strategies – as exemplified by Maldives. Additionally, bilateral diplomacy and international cooperation have proven indispensable during crises. Strengthening international collaboration, targeted financing mechanisms, technology transfers, and comprehensive capacity-building initiatives are required to respond effectively. For island States like Maldives, access to robust international financial support, technology transfer agreements, and specialized adaptation funding mechanisms are essential to fostering resilience and sustainable food system development.
A call for urgent action
Climate change represents a profound and complex threat to global food security, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations in SIDS such as Maldives. Nevertheless, this crisis also provides an opportunity to transform existing food systems toward greater sustainability, resilience, and inclusiveness. Leveraging international cooperation, innovative agricultural technologies, and targeted support for vulnerable nations can significantly mitigate these impacts and safeguard food security for future generations.
Climate-adaptive technologies and international partnerships offer a promising pathway toward enhanced food security resilience for Maldives. Ultimately, global collective action, supported by comprehensive, well-funded frameworks, remains essential. Only through such concerted efforts can humanity effectively address the food security challenges posed by climate change, ensuring a sustainable and equitable future for all.
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H.E. Khadeeja (Hajja) Naseem is Senior Advisor, Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, and former Maldives’ Minister of State for Climate Change.
This article was written for Perry World House’s 2025 Conference, ‘Feeding a Climate Changed World.’ This meeting was made possible in part by a generous grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The views expressed are solely the author’s and do not reflect those of Perry World House, the University of Pennsylvania, or the Carnegie Corporation of New York.