For centuries, Maldivians have co-existed in relative harmony with their natural environment, with the coral reefs and the surrounding oceans forming the lifeblood of the country. However, the inevitable impact of globalisation, tourism and the rapid pace of development have brought forth new socio-economic and cultural customs, alien and detached from the essential culture of the Maldives. Today, this unprecedented scale of urbanisation has nurtured new lifestyles and novel modes of social organisation, marked by a swift departure from sustainable forms of livelihoods. In some islands, such dynamic shifts have irrevocably set in place untenable and dangerous practices that threaten the very social fabric and hence survival of the islands.
The need to revitalise the beliefs of our ancestors and their harmonious way of life therefore has become an urgent and pressing concern. The necessity of this was no doubt seen on December 26, 2004, when the Maldives faced the first and worst disaster ever recorded in its national history. For a country that had never experienced devastation at such magnitude,the tsunami exposed the acute vulnerability of the Maldivian people to natural calamities, but also more importantly, exposed their lack of knowledge and the coping capacities available to respond in wake of such hazards and disasters.Understanding that people must be given the skills to prepare and cope, it is also essential that they learn to avoid lifestyle and livelihood practices that increase their vulnerability to an impending disaster. Through a phenomenological enquiry, itis hoped that this research will unveil new insights into the attitudes of and risks perceived by Maldivians, and the actual risk felt.
This research has been conducted for the UNDP funded Public awareness ‘Campaign for Disaster Risk Reduction, Response Action, Mitigation & Early Warning in The Maldives’. The study is an attempt to explore people’s attitudes and perception towards disaster risk, and identify avenues to rejuvenate locally embedded knowledge systems and capacities.
