IN-PERSON SEMINAR: Sea Level Rise and Climate Change Adaptation

Ayaka Matsuno is Director of Social Innovation Program at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), which leverages social innovation to address societal challenges and promote inclusivity. She also serves as Co-Head of Delegates for W20 Japan, an official engagement group for G20 on women’s economic empowerment, sharing insights from SPF's work with G20 Leaders. Prior to joining SPF, she spent over 20 years working overseas with organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Labour Organization (ILO), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), focusing on empowering women, girls, and vulnerable communities across Asia, East Africa, and South America.

Ambassador Mrs. Rumiko Ishigami is the 4th Resident Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives, having presented her credentials on 4 February 2025. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1986, she has served in various posts across the world– most recently as the Consul General of Japan in Hagatna, Guam. Her previous assignment includes postings as the Consul at the Consulate General of Japan in New York, First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria, Deputy Head of Mission at the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Namibia.

Ambassador is fully committed to strengthening and deepening the enduring and meaningful relationship between Japan and the Maldives. Diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Japan were established in November 1967.

Ali Shareef served the Maldives Government for over 16 years in meteorology and climate change roles. As Director at the Ministry of Environment, he led policy formulation, national and international reporting, and climate adaptation and mitigation programs. He played a key role in key climate reports, including the Maldives Climate Change Policy Framework and Nationally Determined Contributions. Ali represented the Maldives in international committees and UNFCCC negotiations and contributed to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. He holds a postgraduate degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Canterbury and an undergraduate degree in Meteorology from Flinders University, Australia.

Dr. Nakayama presently serves as the CEO of the Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan. He works on migration of people from the Pacific and other areas to the developed world. This research aims at securing findings which should be useful for migrants to re-establishment livelihood painlessly and successfully after their arrival at destinations. Dr. Nakayama have conducted field research for this research agenda in Majuro (Republic of the Marshall Islands), Pohnpei (Federal States of Micronesia) and Hulhumalé (Maldives).

Publications in this field include "Migration with Dignity: A Case Study on the Livelihood Transition of Marshallese to Springdale, Arkansas (McClain, Bruch, Nakayama & Laelan, 2019)", "Addressing the Health Problems After Immigration Faced by the Marshallese in Springdale, Arkansas: Lessons Learned from the City of Vienna (Fujikura, Nakayama, McClain & Drinkall, 2019)", "Alternatives for the Marshall Islands to cope with the anticipated sea level rise by climate change (Nakayama et al, 2022)", and "Evacuees preferred to continue living in relocation sites rather than return: misunderstanding of the government and media about the true intentions of evacuees (Fujikura, Maekawa, Nakayama & Sasaki, 2022)."

Dr. Nakayama obtained his doctor degree from the Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Tokyo in 1986. He worked for the World Bank, United Nations Environment Programme, Utsunomiya University (Japan), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and the University of Tokyo between 1986 and 2020, focusing on management of natural resources and the environment.

Dr. Ibrahim Mohamed is an environmental social science expert with a strong academic background, including a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from James Cook University. His career is marked by significant contributions to environmental social sciences, particularly in climate change adaptation, environmental management, and policy development. Dr. Mohamed is driven by a mission to advance environmental stewardship through education and policy.

Mr. Ahmed Aslam has an impressive and diverse career in the finance industry, spanning over 20 years. As the acting chief commercial officer and director of real estate management at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), he oversees key functions, including strategic planning and monitoring, business development, and real estate and facility management. This role highlights his significant contribution to the organisation's strategic direction and operations.

Throughout his career, Mr. Aslam has held various positions in accounting and finance, from Assistant Accountant to Chief Accountant. His notable qualifications include being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and a Senior Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF). He is also a licensed auditor recognised by CA Maldives and an approved A-category tax agent by MIRA. His academic credentials include a Master’s Degree in Islamic Finance from INCEIF and a Bachelor's in Accounting and Finance from the University of East London.

In addition to his executive role, Mr. Aslam is dedicated to education and the development of future professionals. He is a part-time lecturer at several institutions, including the Islamic University of Maldives, Villa College, MI College, and MAPS College. He also delivers corporate training on various subjects such as accounting, bookkeeping, corporate governance and ethics, Islamic finance, auditing, and taxation.

Mr. Aslam's contributions extend beyond the corporate sector. He is actively engaged in social and voluntary work, being a member of the Maldives Red Crescent (MRC) and serving on their Finance Commission. He has also been a member of the HDC Shariah Committee from June 2021 to 2024, focusing on aligning business practices with ethical and Shariah principles. Additionally, he currently serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Publication and Research Committee of CA Maldives.

Laila is a research expert focusing on sampling methodology, field monitoring, data quality, visualization, management, CAPI development and analysis with over 17 years of experience. As a research expert, she regularly works with national statistical offices to advise and train on the design, implementation and quality assurance of data collection exercises and develop sampling strategies to represent the survey data at different domain levels. As a data strategist, she provides guidance on data processes and tools, conducts training on the best methods for statistics analysis, cleaning and analysis of data and enjoys bringing data to life through interactive visualizations. Currently she is heading research and development section in Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

Akiko Sakamoto is a researcher and secretary general of the Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation Japan (GIF Japan), a non-profit organisation that promotes research on large-scale infrastructure projects around the world. She graduated from Keio University in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and joined Mitsubishi Research Institute Inc. as a research assistant, working on various projects such as feasibility studies of new technologies and regional development through the construction of large-scale public facilities. In 2008, she moved to GIF Japan and became involved in research on global infrastructure issues, such as the New Silk Road Initiatives connecting Eurasian countries and the natural gas pipeline network in East Asia. More recently, she has been studying how to adapt to sea-level rise caused by climate change through the construction of large-scale infrastructure such as artificial islands.

Miko Maekawa, Senior Research Fellow at the Social Innovation Program of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) has joined SPF since 2014, and specializes in the topics such as ocean and climate change, climate-induced migration issues and marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). She worked at several organizations before joining the SPF in 2014, among them the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), University of Tokyo, as an Assistant Professor with the “Wisdom of Water” (Suntory) Corporate Sponsored Research Program, and the Graduate School of Human Sciences at Osaka University, as a Lecturer. While working at the UNDP, she served at the UNDP’s Beijing Office, New York Headquarters, and Rwanda Office, at the last of which she was Assistant Resident Representative and Head of the Energy and Environment Unit. She has also recently been appointed as a Visiting Professor at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University. She holds a Ph.D. in International Studies from the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. She also holds a B.L.A. from Sophia University and a Master of Science in Environment and Development from the University of East Anglia.

Raheema Abdul Raheem has been appointed as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at The Maldives National University since 27 December 2023. Previously, Dr Raheema served as the Dean of Research at MNU. She holds a PhD in Public Health and has numerous publications in the areas of public health and public awareness. In her role as the Dean of Research, she has led more than 40 research projects and secured funding for the university. Additionally, she served as the vice-chair of the university ethics committee and holds the position of Editor-in-chief for the Maldives National Journal of Research. Raheema is a member of both the research grants committee and the book writing grants committee. She has initiated and organized six Theveli conferences and two IEEE conferences. Previously, Raheema worked as a lecturer and Head of the Department at the Faculty of Health Sciences at The Maldives National University. Some of the research projects led by Raheema include ‘Strategic Support for Accreditation of Programs and Internationalization at South Asian Higher Education Institutes / SSAPI (2021-2023)’, ‘Endgame Strategy for Leprosy in the Maldives’, ‘Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis’, ‘Maldives Steps Survey’, ‘Trans-fat Survey’, and ‘Use of Wolbachia to Control Dengue’.

Mr. Adam Khalid is the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology. His professional journey began as an engineer with the State Electric Company Limited, where he gained valuable experience in the engineering field. Later, he transitioned into education, taking on the role of a teacher at Majeediya School.

Throughout his career, Mr. Khalid has made significant contributions to the development of the national curriculum for Computer Science in his country, helping shape the educational framework in this important field. He also played a key role in developing applications designed to support the writing of the native script, as well as creating a search engine tailored for the Dhivehi language.

Mr. Khalid's primary research interests lie in the areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and programming languages, where he continues to explore and contribute to advancements in these cutting-edge fields.

Mr. Motoo Taki has served as a resident representative of the JICA Maldives Office since May 2022.

Mr. Taki has over 30 years of professional experience in the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), including overseas assignment as a senior representative in the JICA ’s Pakistan office at Islamabad (2013-2017) and a representative in its Indonesia office at Jakarta (2001-2005). Seconded by the JICA, he also served as an economist in the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) (1998-2000) and a professor at Kyushu University (2020-2022).

Mr. Taki holds his B.A. degree in Economics from the Hokkaido University, Japan and his M.Sc. degree in Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Dr. Aishath Shehenaz Adam has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Maldives National University since November 19, 2023. Previously, she served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at MNU. Dr. Adam graduated from the University of Newcastle, Australia with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Education in 1995. She achieved a Postgraduate Diploma in Mathematics Education (1998) and a Master of Philosophy in Mathematics Education (1999) from the University of Waikato, New Zealand. In 2004 Dr. Adam obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, followed by a Postdoctoral Research fellowship at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 2005.

Dr. Adam has worked in the Maldives education sector since 1995 in different capacities. First, as a Mathematics Teacher, then as an Assistant Principal, and finally as the Executive Director for the Ministry of Education where she was responsible for both the educational supervision, national assessment and quality improvement of schools across the country.

She has also provided her knowledge and skills to independent organizations to strengthen educational standards at both local and international levels. She has worked as the National Coordinator for the UNESCO Education for All (EFA) program and as the Chairperson of the Advisory Board for Live and Learn (Maldives) Environmental Education. Additionally, Dr. Adam has published books, contributed to a number of journals and has been a consultant for education and higher education related projects in the Maldives.

In addition to her work in the education sector, Dr. Adam possesses notable experience in the foreign service as she served as the Ambassador of the Maldives to both Pakistan (2009-2013) and the United Arab Emirates (2013-2014) and as the non-resident Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan (2011 – 2013).