Email 
Print 
International Federation (p17578)
In the middle of the Indian Ocean, far
away from highways that could transport
building and construction materials for
600 houses and all the infrastructure
that goes with it… the Red Cross Red
crescent took on the challenge of
redeveloping a community from scratch.
REF:
International Federation (p16531)
Absolutely everything has to be imported
and run through customs in Male' before
being transported by dhoni (the
traditionnal Maldivian boat) to
Dhuvafaaru. The blocks for the housing
foundations, the cement, sand, steel,
all the building equipment, the dump
trucks, fork lifts, the light fixtures…
all the food for the workers, even the
workers themselves have to be imported
and the consultants too. It was a
logistical challenge to say the least
and from an engineering perspective it’s
still ‘pretty amazing.
REF:
International Federation (p15994)
Pretty amazing indeed when you consider
just what’s involved in building 600
houses, four schools, a community centre,
administrative complex, multipurpose
hall, sports ground and a hospital. The
300 or so workers who ‘didn’t seen their
wives for the a full year’ were from all
parts of the Southern Hemisphere.
REF:
International Federation (p16977)
The 300 or so workers involved in
building 600 houses, four schools, a
community centre, administrative complex,
multipurpose hall, sports ground and a
hospital, that haven’t seen their wives
for the a full year’ were from all parts
of the Southern Hemisphere. They look
tired, hot and grubby, but determined to
get the job finished.
REF:
Simon Turner/International Federation (p18410)
Building a community in the middle of
the ocean is a logistic challenge. All
the material has to be brought by sea.
In the photo installing the water tanks
of the sewer system in Dhuvaafaru.
REF:
Simon Turner/International Federation (p18411)
Workers installing the roof od the
future administrative building in
Dhuvaafaru. Dhuvaafaru was chosen as the
island for redevelopment because it’s
one of the ‘safer’ islands – at least it’
s on higher ground.
REF:
Simon Turner/International Federation (p18407)
Installing the main sewer pipeline in
Dhuvaafaru. In addition to the usual
infrastructure plans such as a sewage
system and waste management centre,
there are also plans to provide a
renewable energy system for Dhuvaafaru.
The Maldives were the first country to
sign the Kyoto Protocol and ratify it in
1998. In a report put out by the
Maldivian Government, the main goal of
the national energy policy was to ‘
enhance national energy security by
promoting indigenously available
renewable sources of energy.’
REF:
Janine Gray/Australian Red Cross (p16529)
When work began in April 2006, the 40-
hectare coral island was uninhabited.
Within three years, and at a cost of 35
million US$, it has been transformed
into a thriving community that now
boasts 600 new houses, three schools,
one mosque, a health centre and an
island administration block complete
with auditorium and sports stadium.
Creating an entire community on a small
island in the middle of the Indian Ocean
has been a massive undertaking that has
presented many logistical challenges. As
the island lies 185 kilometres north of
the capital, Male, thousands of tons of
cement, construction materials and
machinery all had to be brought in by
ship together with the 600-strong labour
force, many of whom originate from
countries as far a field as China,
Indonesia and the Philippines.
REF:
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
