The small size and low-lying nature of the Maldivian islands make the island nation system highly exposed and sensitive to climate change impacts. The vulnerability assessment for the SNC identified eight areas of vulnerability.

Critical Infrastructure – Critical Infrastructures such as utility services, hospitals, transport and communication Infrastructures and waste management centres are located within very close proximity to coastline. These infrastructures are exposed to coastal hazards such as sea swells, storm surges and related coastal flooding. 

Water Resources – Inundation models further identified the increased risk of salinizing of the groundwater.

Land loss, Beach Erosion and Human Settlements – With about 80% of islands being lower than one meter above the mean sea level, the islands of the Maldives are extremely vulnerable to climate change and its associated impacts, particularly sea level rise. 

Coral Reefs – The most critical impact on coral reefs are due to the increase in sea surface temperature (SST).

Agriculture and Food Security – Limited agricultural production, heavy import dependency, limitations in storage and challenges in the distribution of food across the nation are major threats to national food security. The small size of islands and limited freshwater availability limit local agricultural production. Extreme weather events further exacerbate this vulnerability, especially when flooding due to surges or sea swells and high waves impact the freshwater lens.

Human Health – Climate change will have direct and indirect impact on human health. In Maldives heat and extreme weather events, especially floods due to heavy rainfall have direct health impacts. Indirect health effects of climate change include secondary effects caused by changes in ecology and social systems. Vector borne diseases are the most prominent indirect impacts on the human health for the Maldives. Vector borne diseases such as Dengue, Chikungunya and Scrub typhus are vector borne diseases of immediate concern due to changing climate.

Fisheries – Changes in sea surface temperature and ocean pH are the main factors likely to affect fisheries in the Maldives. The Maldives fisheries is predominantly dependent on tuna fisheries. Tuna fishery of the Maldives is affected by the seasonal monsoon and other oceanographic variations. 

Tourism – As the sea, sand and sun is a major pull factor for tourists to visit the Maldives, the tourism product is highly vulnerable to effects of climate change. The major climate change impacts on the Maldives tourism sector include impacts due to increased temperatures, increased extreme events, sea level and SST rise and changes to marine biodiversity.