For Applicants | Focus Areas | Climate Change Adaptation in the Maldive Islands Applicant Resources Apply Application Process Eligibility Focus Areas Find a USG-Supported Partner Frequently Asked Questions Eligible Countries: ASIA Afghanistan Bangladesh Burma Cambodia India Indonesia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Maldives* Mongolia Nepal Pakistan Philippines Sri Lanka Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam EUROPE AND EURASIA Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Kosovo Macedonia Moldova Serbia Ukraine SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Angola Benin Cameroon Democratic Republic of Congo Ethiopia Gabon Ghana Guinea Kenya Liberia Malawi Mali Mozambique Namibia Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN Antigua and Barbuda Brazil Colombia Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Paraguay Peru Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines MIDDLE EAST Egypt Iraq Jordan Lebanon Libya Morocco Tunisia West Bank/Gaza Yemen *Researchers from the Maldives are especially encouraged to apply to this focus area Additional Criteria for Applicants: Review general eligibility requirements Indonesia: Universities and non-governmental research institutions are eligible to receive PEER funding. While laboratories managed within government agencies are not eligible to apply for PEER funding, it is encouraged that proposed research submitted by universities and non-governmental research institutions include potential collaborations with government-managed laboratories. Objectives: USAID/Sri Lanka is seeking to support research projects that focus on climate change adaptation in the Maldives. Research projects should support increased resilience of people, places, and/or livelihoods to climate change impacts in the Maldives and should be consistent with the strategic development objective of USAID/Sri Lanka in the Maldives. USAID is committed to providing assistance to the Maldives to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. The Maldives is comprised of more than 1,000 small islands, with an average elevation of only 1.5 meter above sea level. This unique geography means the country is particularly vulnerable to a range of climate-related impacts including rising sea levels, droughts, extreme rainfall, damaging winds, and elevated water and air temperatures. High population density, rapid population growth, and dependence on climate-sensitive industries such as fisheries and tourism add to the country’s vulnerability. USAID/Sri Lanka will provide assistance to selected islands in the Maldives with the goal of developing a robust “climate-resilient islands” model that may be replicated both in the Maldives and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The program will support the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of island ecosystems, and foster diversified, climate-smart livelihoods. Illustrative examples include building capacity for the sustainable management of agricultural and marine resources; building capacity for environmental monitoring; piloting ecosystem-based approaches to island restoration; improving water security through integrated water resources management; improving disaster preparedness; and building capacity for sustainable marine-based livelihoods.