The report highlights a project aimed at identifying livebait fishing grounds in the Maldives by having fishers themselves mark these locations on a map with a 0.025° x 0.025° spatial resolution. This project was essential due to the rapid development of tourism, which has led to uninhabited islands and submerged reefs being allocated for resort development, restricting access to traditional fishing grounds.

The project aimed to assist in spatial planning and environmental impact assessments of development projects like resorts and dredging. Additionally, it sought to contribute to the conservation and management of the livebait fishery, crucial for the Maldives’ pole-and-line and handline tuna fisheries.

The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), which emerged as early as November2019 and was declared a pandemic in February 2020 (Adam et al., 2020) is one of the most dramatic social crisis that both the Maldives and the world has witnessed in recent decades. The first case of COVID-19 in the Maldives was detected in early March 2020 from tourists, and a community spread was detected by mid-April 2020. Like many other countries, the response in the Maldives was unprecedented. From mobility restrictions to business closures, containment measures escalated to a full-scale country border closure, lockdowns, and curfews (Moosa et al., 2021). These restrictions created an intensely disruptive situation that has affected livelihoods in the short term and long term.

This report presents the finding of the Maldives STEPS survey 2020-21, a nation-wide study conducted by the Maldives National University (MNU) for Health Protection Agency in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of Health (MoH). The study addresses the common risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), specifically the use of tobacco, alcohol, and also dietary habits that predispose to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer. The scope of the study also covers mental health. addiction, injuries, and access to health care.

The Maldives is experiencing serious concerns related to teacher shortage, attrition, and retention. More specifically, the teacher education institutions in the Maldives have been raising concerns over the low enrolment of students in the teaching courses over the last few years. This research aims to investigate the perception, value and choice of the teaching profession as a career. The research attempts to answer the following questions.

This study was based on the objective of assessing the impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of higher education country-wide, including policy, academic affairs, management and financial responses, and psychological fitness of stakeholders within the higher education sector of the Maldives. The emergency response of the higher education institutions (HEIs) to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of their response on students, staff and the institutions were analysed    by collecting data both quantitatively (stakeholder survey questionnaires) and qualitatively (stakeholder interviews). In total, 12 stakeholder interviews were conducted with higher education stakeholders, and 1187 survey questionnaires were filled by students and academic & non-academic staff of HEIs. The findings show adjustments that were made by HEIs and the challenges faced by the students, staff, and the institutions in transitioning to remote online teaching and learning.

Maldives reported its first case of Covid-19 on 7th March 2020 and as of 11 August 2020 reported 5,223 confirmed cases and 2849 recoveries with 20 deaths. The country reported its first community case on the 15th April 2020 which triggered the lockdown of the Greater Male’ area with travel restrictions between islands and restrictions on mobility within the capital city. The objective of the survey was to understand the extent of knowledge, perceptions, concerns and behaviors related to Covid-19 and its prevention, population health, access to essential services and to explore the effects on employment and income.

Construction is an increasingly important sector in the Maldivian economy. For the past several years, construction sector GDP hovered around the second or third highest in the economy. However, the sector has been adversely affected from the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic as unprecedented prevention measures
had to be taken, globally and in the Maldives that severely restricted people’s movements, business operations, and economic and social activities. (See Annex 1 for a timeline of key global and domestic events of the pandemic).

The first community case of Covid-19 in the Maldives was reported on the 15th April 2020 which triggered the lockdown of Greater Male’ area with travel restrictions between islands, closure of businesses, government offices, schools and other movement of the people was restricted. The lockdown lasted about 45 days before any ease of movement was given. This report presents the preliminary results of the second round of online survey launched on the 12th of June 2020 to explore the extent of exposure to Covid-19, prevention practices, perceptions on easing the restrictions imposed to contain Covid-19, quality of life, access to essential services and the impact on work and income during lockdown.

COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted societies all over the world to a large extent, and it is not any different in the Maldives. At the time of the survey, the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the Maldives since its first reported case in early March 2020, threatening the health of the country’s population of 507,660 which includes 100,000 migrant workers (World Bank, 2020). The government of the Maldives had taken early preventative interventions (Suzana et al., 2020) and restrictive measures to control the spread of the virus including closing the country’s borders, to restricting island to island travels and closing down schools and other offices (MED 2020; Moosa & Usman, 2020). However, the lockdown measures have been gradually eased from July 2020 onwards, and now the government continues with the less restrictive measures such as contact tracing, mandating face masks for everyone while in public places, while continuing restrictions on large gatherings, and partial curfews in the greater Male’ area.

Inquiry on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in the Maldives

The purpose of the study was to identify public perception towards the police and the challenges faced by the public in accessing Maldives Police Service. In this regard, the study specifically will focus on the following objectives:

As part of the desk review the research team carried out a preliminary assessment to understand the context and determine the key indicators used in the questionnaire design and identify areas for the focus groups. In addition, the stakeholder consultations of this phase included the methodology finalisation. This phase included studying relevant documents and obtaining information from stakeholders through small focus group meetings.

This report presents findings from a research study carried out on the youth of the Maldives to determine the
factors that lead youth to commit crimes and the issues that they face which leads to repeat offences. The proceeding sections of this report present an outline of the background of the study from the available literature in the Maldivian context, research objectives, scope, and methodology for this undertaking. This will be followed
by the findings, discussions, and conclusions with implications and recommendations for policy makers, parents, caregivers, and to the society in general.

Housing is one of the basic needs essential for healthy living, welfare, social attitudes and economic productivity of an individual. Like many other countries, one of the main challenges faced in meeting the housing need in Maldives is provision of affordable housing, especially in the capital city Male’. Housing Development Corporation in consultation with the Maldives National University and Islamic University of the Maldives
undertook this study, “A comprehensive Housing Market study for the greater Male’ region” in order to explore and address the challenges faced in meeting housing need. Hence, the objectives of this study were to explore the local housing conditions and trends, to identify housing choices in a demographic and geographic context, to
analyse and forecast the housing market stock, supply and housing finance options and to determine a housing market equilibrium.

މިއީ ކޯވިޑް-19 ވަބާގެ ސަބަބުން ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ފަތުރުވެރިކަމުގެ ވިޔަފާރިއަށް، މިހިނގާ 2020 ވަނަ އަހަރާއި 2021 ވަނަ އަހަރު ކުރާނޭކަމަށް ބެލެވޭ އަސަރުތައް ދެނެގަތުމަށް، ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލީހުގެ އެދި ވަޑައިގަތުމަކަށް ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޤައުމީ ޔުނިވަރސިޓީއިން ކުރި ދިރާސާއެކެވެ.

މަޖިލީހުން ދެއްވި ތަފުޞީލީ އިޚްތިޞާޞް (އެނެކްސް 1)ގެދަށުން މި ދިރާސާކުރެވިފައި ވަނީ ފަތުރުވެރިކަމުގެ ވުޒާރާގެ ރަޖިސްޓަރީގައިވާ ރިސޯޓުތަކާއި ހޮޓާތަކާއި އުޅަނދުތަކާއި ގެސްޓް ހައުސްތަކުގެ ތެރެއިން(ޖުމުލަ 736ގެ ތެރެއިން ތަމުސީލީ ސާންޕަލް އަދަދަށް ފުދޭ 246 ތަނަށް) އަމާޒުކޮށްގެންނެވެ. ދިރާސާކުރީ ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޤައުމީ ޔުނިވަރސިޓީގެ ރިސަރޗަރުންނެވެ.