International Conference* (Side event to “IGU-TC Osaka 2023”)

Infrastructure development in Maldives to cope with climate change
In-country migration to newly constructed island of Hulhumalé
4 April 2023 (18:10 to 19:30)
University Media Center (Sugimoto Library), Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
Organized by [alphabetical order]:Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan (GIF Japan)
International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University
Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF)
It has been warned that up to 1.2 billion people worldwide could be displaced as climate migrants by
2050. These climate migrants should have the "right to stay", i.e. the right to remain in their homecountries rather than move abroad. Infrastructure development should be considered as an effective
measure to ensure their "right to stay". The Maldives, an atoll country in the Indian Ocean, has decided
to build a new island, Hulhumalé, in an atoll just off the capital, Malé. The plan is to move about half ofthe country's population to Hulhumalé. This is a promising option for dealing with climate change inatoll countries. This session will present and discuss the reasons for the need to build Hulhumalé andhow the people who have moved to Hulhumalé rate their living conditions, based on studies conductedin the field. The conclusions of this session will provide useful insights into the potential of building
artificial islands as a climate change adaptation measure in other atoll countries, such as Kiribati, theMarshall Islands and Tuvalu, as well as for achieving the global goals outlined in the Sendai Frameworkfor Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Researchers from the Maldives (belonging to the Housing
Development Corporation) will participate as speakers and panelists in this session, along with scientists
from Finland, Japan and the United States. The session is organized by the Global Infrastructure Fund
Research Foundation Japan, the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku
University, and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF).

Provisional Agenda
MC:

Mikiyasu Nakayama [GIF Japan]

Presentations:
1. Introductory remarks (Mikiyasu Nakayama [GIF Japan])
2. Hulhumalé development by Housing Development Corporation (Aishath Laila [HousingDevelopment Corporation, Maldives] and Mariyam Areesha Ahmed [Housing Development
Corporation, Maldives])
3. Livelihood of residences in Hulhumalé (Daisuke Sasaki [IRIDeS, Tohoku University] andAkiko Sakamoto [GIF Japan])
Panel discussion:Moderator: Miko Maekawa (Sasakawa Peace Foundation)
Panelists: Mariyam Areesha Ahmed [Housing Development Corporation, Maldives]
Carl Bruch [Environmental Law Institute]
Ryo Fujikura [Hosei University]
Aishath Laila [Housing Development Corporation, Maldives]
Juha Uitto [Independent Evaluation Office of the Global Environment Facility]
Closing remarks:
Daisuke Sasaki (IRIDeS, Tohoku University)*

Supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP21H03711 and JP19KK0025.

Profile of Speakers, Panelists and Moderator
Mariyam Areesha Ahmed
Affiliation: Research Analyst, Strategic Business Unit, Housing Development Corporation (Maldives)
Brief Career:2022- Research Analyst, Housing Development Corporation
2021- Business Relations Executive, Business Solutions and Smart Infrastructure
2019- Senior Officer Wholesale Business, Ooredoo Maldives2016- Protocol Officer, Supreme Court of the MaldivesCarl Bruch
Affiliation: Senior Attorney and Director of International Programs , Environmental Law InstituteBrief Career:
2006- Senior Attorney and Director of International Programs, Environmental Law Institute2018- Founding President, Environmental Peacebuilding Association
2017- Senior Adjunct Professor, American University School of International Service
2003-2005- Legal Officer, UN Environment Programme
1997-2003- Staff Attorney and Director of Africa Program, Environmental Law Institute1996-1997- Law Fellow, Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide
Selected Publications:• “Migration with Dignity: A Legal and Policy Framework,” J. of Disaster Research, Vol.17(3), 292-300,2022.
• “Migration with Dignity: A Case Study on the Livelihood Transition of Marshallese to Springdale,Arkansas,” J. of Int. Migration and Integration, Vol.21, pp. 847-859, 2019.
• “Environmental Rule of Law: First Global Report,” UN Environment Programme, 2019.
Ryo Fujikura
Affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Sustainability Studies, Hosei University
Brief Career:
1984-1995 Officer, Environment Agency, Government of Japan
1995-1999 Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Systems, Kyushu University
1999-2003 Professor, Faculty of Economics, Ritsumeikan University
Selected Publications:• “Resettlement Policy in Large Development Projects,” Routledge, 2015.
• “Climate Change Mitigation and Development Cooperation,” Earthscan, 2012.
• “Climate Change Adaptation and International Development,” Earthscan, 2010.
Aishath Laila
Affiliation: General Manager, Research & Development, Strategic Business Unit, Housing Development
Corporation (Maldives)
Brief Career:
2021- General Manager, Research & Development, Housing Development Corporation
2016- Statistician (Deputy Director General), National Bureau of Statistics
2014- Assistant Director, National Bureau of Statistics
Selected Publications:• Shareef, A., Mohamed, M., Waheed, A., Khaleel, Z., Ali, A., Laila, A., ... & Asif, M. (2015). Baseline
analysis of adaptation capacity and climate change vulnerability impacts in the tourism sector:
Increasing climate change resilience of Maldives through adaptation in the tourism sector.

Miko Maekawa
Affiliation: Senior Research Fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF)
Brief Career:
2000-2007 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
2012 Assistant Professor, “Wisdom of Water” (Suntory) Corporate Sponsored Research Program, The
University of Tokyo
2013 Lecturer, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University
2014- SPF
Selected Publications:• M. Maekawa et al., “Highly Skilled Migrant Workers as a Vulnerability of Small Island Developing
States During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cases of Three Countries in Micronesia,” J. Disaster Res.,
Vol.17, No.3, pp. 380-387, 2022.
• M. Maekawa et al., “Livelihood Re-Establishment of Emigrants from Kiribati in Fiji,” J. Disaster Res.,
Vol.14, No.9, pp. 1277-1286, 2019.
• M. Maekawa and I. Fujii, “Toward Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity ofAreas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Analysis and Prospects for Negotiation Process at the United
Nations with a Focus on Capacity Building and the Transfer of Marine Technology,” J. of Japan
Society of Ocean Policy, No.11, pp. 55-69, 2021.
• M. Fujii, M. Maekawa, and E. Higuchi, “Comparative Analysis on International Trends andImplementations of Three Major Countries Towards the Sustainable Development Goal 14: Japan,France and U.S.A.,” J. of Japan Society of Ocean Policy, No.8, pp. 49-70, 2018
Mikiyasu Nakayama
Affiliation: Managing Director, Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan
Brief Career:
1989- Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University
1999- Professor, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture andTechnology
2004- Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
2020- Managing Director, Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan
Selected Publications:• M. Nakayama et al., “Alternatives for the Marshall Islands to Cope with the Anticipated Sea Level Riseby Climate Change,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.17, No.3, pp. 315-326, 2022.
• M. Nakayama, J. Toyoshima, and N. Shiiba, “Pivotal Factors in the Acculturation of the SecondGeneration Marshallese Immigrants to the United States,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.17, No.3, pp. 346-355,2022.
• S. N. McClain, C. Bruch, M. Nakayama, and M. Laelan, “Migration with dignity: a case study on thelivelihood transition of Marshallese to Springdale, Arkansas,” J. of Int. Migration and Integration,
Vol.21, No.3, pp. 847-859, 2020.
• M. Nakayama, I. Taafaki, T. Uakeia, J. Seru, Y. McKay, and H. Lajar, “Influence of Religion, Cultureand Education on Perception of Climate Change, and its Implications,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.14, No.9,
pp. 1297-1302, 2019.
Akiko Sakamoto
Affiliation: Secretary General, Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan
Brief Career:
1991- Bachelor of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Keio University
1991- Joined Mitsubishi Research Institute Inc.
2008- Joined Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan
2020- Secretary General, Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan
Selected Publications:• A. Sakamoto et al., “Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise by Infrastructure
Development: Case of the Maldives,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.17, No.3, pp. 327-334, 2022.

Daisuke Sasaki
Affiliation: Associate Professor, International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku
University
Brief Academic Career:
2015- Ph.D. in International Studies, The University of Tokyo
2016- Affiliate Researcher, The University of Tokyo
2017- Assistant Professor, Tohoku University2022- Associate Professor, Tohoku University
Selected Recent Publications:• Sasaki, D., Suppasri, A., Tsukuda, H., Nguyen, D. N., Onoda, Y., & Imamura, F. (2022). People’s
perception of well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in Japan. International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12146.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912146• Sasaki, D., Jibiki, Y., & Ohkura, T. (2022). Tourists’ behavior for volcanic disaster risk reduction: A
case study of Mount Aso in Japan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 78, 103142.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103142• Nakayama, M., McClain, S. N., Fujikura, R., & Sasaki, D. (2022). Migration, dignity, fragility, andpandemics: Overview of the special issue. Journal of Disaster Research, 17(3), 285–291.
https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2022.p0285• Sasaki, D., Sofyan, H., Sasmita, N. R., Affan, M., & Nizamuddin, N. (2021). Assessing theintermediate function of local academic institutions during the rehabilitation and reconstruction ofAceh, Indonesia. Journal of Disaster Research, 16(8), 1265–1273.
https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2021.p1265• Ishiwatari, M., & Sasaki, D. (2021). Investing in flood protection in Asia: An empirical study focusing
on the relationship between investment and damage. Progress in Disaster Science, 12, 100197.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2021.100197
Juha Uitto
Affiliation: Director, Independent Evaluation Office, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Brief Career:
2014- Director, Independent Evaluation Office, GEF
2009-2014 Deputy Director, Independent Evaluation Office, United Nations Development Programme(UNDP)
2006-2009 Evaluation Adviser, UNDP
1999-2005 Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator/Specialist, GEF/UNDP
1990-1999 Academic Programme Officer/Senior Academic Programme Officer, UN University (UNU)
Selected Publications:- Uitto, J.I. (2021). Confronting storms, fires, and pestilence: Meaningful evaluation for a hazardous
world. Evaluation Matters, 7: 96-126.
- Uitto, J.I. (2021). Surviving the Anthropocene: How evaluation can contribute to knowledge and better
policymaking. Evaluation, 27(4): 436-452.
- Uitto, J.I. (2019). Sustainable development evaluation: Understanding the nexus of natural and humansystems. New Directions for Evaluation, 162: 49-67.
- Lech, M., J.I. Uitto, S. Harten, G. Batra and A. Anand (2018). Improving international development
evaluation through geospatial data and analysis. International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental
Research, 5(2): Art. 3.
- Uitto, J.I., J. Kohlitz and D. Todd (2017). Evaluating sustainable development in SIDS: Lessons fromthe Pacific and the Caribbean. In: Evaluation for the 2030 Agenda: Providing Evidence on Progress
and Sustainability, International Development Evaluation Association, pp. 119-133.
- Miyaguchi, T. and J.I. Uitto (2017). What do evaluations tell us about climate change adaptation? Metaanalysis with a realist approach. In: Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development.
Springer, pp. 235-254.
- Uitto, J.I. (2016). The environment-poverty nexus in evaluation: Implications for the Sustainable
Development Goals. Global Policy, 7(3): 441-447.
- Chen, S. and J. I. Uitto (2015). Accountability delegation: Empowering local communities forenvironmental protection in China. Development, 58(2-3): 354-365.