The Maldives hosts globally significant marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows, and associated island ecosystems that underpin the national economy, food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. However, these ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to multiple and cumulative pressures, including climate change, overexploitation of marine resources, coastal development, and pollution.

In response, conservation and management approaches are evolving beyond a sole focus on threat reduction towards strengthening ecosystem resilience by supporting natural processes that enhance resistance, recovery, and adaptive capacity under changing climatic conditions. This shift underscores the need for effective, science-based, and locally informed conservation actions.

Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs) form a central pillar of the Maldives’ biodiversity conservation strategy and its commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Strengthening the planning, management, and governance of PCAs is therefore essential to safeguarding marine and coastal ecosystems while balancing conservation objectives with social and economic priorities. In this context, IUCN Maldives is implementing a portfolio of projects that support the planning, management, and governance of Protected and Conserved Areas.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

The Project Officer, Protected and Conserved Areas (PCA) will provide technical and operational support to conservation initiatives under IUCN Maldives Programme, working closely with government counterparts, implementing partners, and communities to support effective project delivery. The position will contribute to Improved Biodiversity Management to support a Blue Economy in the Maldives Project funded by the European Union.


A. Technical Support

• Provide technical support to the implementation of activities related to Protected and Conserved Areas (PCAs).
• Assist in the collection, organisation, and preliminary analysis of ecological, spatial, and socio-economic data related to PCAs.
• Support spatial and socio-ecological analyses to inform site selection, boundary refinement, zoning, connectivity, and threat assessments.
• Assist in the integration of data into decision-making processes, including the preparation of technical reports, and maps.
• Support the application of relevant IUCN global tools and approaches, such as Green List, OECMs, management effectiveness assessments, and Nature-based Solutions, as relevant to project activities.

B. Protected and Conserved Areas - Stakeholder Engagement and Socio-Economic Analysis

• Assist in organising, facilitating, and documenting stakeholder consultations at national, atoll, and island levels related to PCA planning and management.
• Support socio-economic assessments, including livelihood analyses, resource-use studies, and social impact considerations associated with PCA designation and management.
• Contribute to the integration of community knowledge, traditional practices, and local priorities into PCA planning and decision-making processes.
• Support coordination with government agencies, local councils, community groups, civil society organisations, and the private sector to promote inclusive and participatory conservation approaches.

C. Project Management and Implementation Support

• Provide day-to-day technical and operational support to PCA-related project activities to ensure timely delivery of agreed outputs and outcomes.
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of annual workplans, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, donor requirements, and national policy frameworks.
• Support activity-based budgeting, financial planning, and tracking by providing technical inputs and cost estimates.
• Assist in preparing draft terms of reference for consultants and service providers and support technical review and quality assurance of deliverables.

D. Support to Communication, and Knowledge Management

• Provide support to thematic technical inputs to reports, policy briefs, guidance notes, and knowledge products related to Protected and Conserved Areas.
• Support project advocacy and visibility by providing thematic technical content to meetings, workshops, trainings, and other outreach events, as assigned.

E. Support to Project Development and Fundraising

• Assist with technical inputs related to Protected and Conserved Areas, spatial planning, and community-based conservation to support project concept development and proposal writing.
• Support identification of emerging priorities, funding opportunities, and partnerships relevant to PCA work in the Maldives.
• Undertake any other tasks that may be assigned and mutually agreed upon with the line manager.