Spatial Research Overview for MPAC

This research initiative titled “Spatial planning and governance in Maldives: Understanding spatial policy formulation, planning and implementation systems and processes”, studies the systems and processes currently in place for the formulation, implementation and administration of spatial planning policies in the Maldives. While the mandate to formulate the national spatial plan falls under the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, spatial policy making and implementation as a whole is based on a decentralised governance structure brought in by the Constitution of 2008 and the Decentralisation Act of 2010; and subsequent amendments to the Act along with regulations made by government bodies.

As a result, the successful implementation of spatial planning policies requires coordination among numerous agencies and bodies across multiple tiers of governance. The key agencies and bodies focused on in this study are the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, the Housing Development Corporation, the Local Government Authority as well as the local councils at island, city and atoll levels. To date, there is no central knowledge of the systems and processes in place nor any studies evaluating their effectiveness. Hence, this study aims to understand the roles taken on by the multiple tiers of governance currently in place and evaluate the efficacy of this model in the formulation, planning and implementation of spatial policies.

This study further aims to evaluate the Maldives’ spatial governance framework through comparative case studies of successful systems from other countries. It is hoped that the findings will highlight key issues in the current system as well as provide potential paths of improvement and recommendations to the relevant governmental bodies in order to facilitate a more successful formulation and execution of spatial planning policies in the future.