National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as per the Disaster Management Act (28/2015) on 30 December 2018. With this, all staff, assets, ongoing work etc. of NDMC has been transferred to NDMA.

Currently, NDMA is carrying out a more holistic model, wherein the processes of hazard identification and mitigation, community preparedness, integrated response efforts, and recovery are planned for and undertaken contiguously within a risk management context to address issues of vulnerability.

As the main coordinating body for disaster management activities at the national level, the portfolio of NDMC is ever increasing. We have an active advocacy role, by implementing risk reduction activities at community level and in the private sector. Our goal is to make disaster preparedness a national priority.

One of the most important objectives of NDMA is to mainstream disaster risk reduction at the national level. This includes planning processes, establishing agreed standards, developing procedures and policies.  This work is guided by the National Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. Several other documents and processes are in development or have already been institutionalized, including the Relief Guideline, Framework for managing internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the National Emergency Operations Plan (NEOP). Significant internal re-structuring has taken place to meet the demands of a changing social climate and environment. Work is underway to establish a modern and well-equipped Emergency Operations Center at NDMC.

Much of the work at NDMA is made possible through its partnership with international technical bodies and donor agencies. Particularly of note are the projects being funded by UNDP, UNICEF, UNISDR and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). We have also received training opportunities from SAARC, UNESCAP, Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), MERCY Malaysia and several other organizations.

Disaster risk reduction is everyone’s responsibility. Let us work together to make Maldives a disaster resilient country.