Kulhudhuffushi City is actively pursuing official recognition under the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission's "Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced today. The milestone was highlighted in a statement released by the Ministry of Defence to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2026.
Conducted in close partnership with the Maldives Meteorological Service, the Kulhudhuffushi City Council, and relevant local stakeholders, the pilot programme focuses on enhancing public awareness, testing early warning dissemination systems, and drafting robust community evacuation protocols. As an island community striving to meet these rigorous international standards, Kulhudhuffushi City serves as an operational benchmark for expanding tsunami preparedness models to other populated islands across the nation.
The push for UNESCO recognition aligns with broader national disaster resilience reforms showcased during this year’s IDDRR commemorations. Among these initiatives is the publication of the "National Risk Register and Assessment 2026," the country’s first nationwide baseline study mapping vulnerabilities across low-lying atolls, alongside the operationalisation of the "National Emergency Operations Plan" (NEOP) to streamline agency roles during major emergencies.
Reaffirming the primary philosophy behind these nationwide preparedness frameworks, NDMA noted: "Disaster risk reduction is not merely about responding when an incident occurs; it requires identifying underlying hazards, safeguarding homes, and fostering proactive community awareness well before a crisis strikes."
In addition to municipal preparedness in Kulhudhuffushi City, national authorities have decentralised localised response capabilities by deploying critical equipment—including specialised dewatering and firefighting pumps provided through Japanese grant assistance—directly to island councils. Furthermore, the agency continues to operationalise the "Disaster Assessment and Loss Analysis" (DALA) digital platform under the administration's "Maldives 2.0" digital agenda to ensure data-driven recovery operations.