Community land trusts: a solution to our housing crisis?

By Dhiconomist August 19, 2021

Social Video

Providing adequate housing is an election pledge by all successive governments. And it’s a sensitive topic. It appeals to the emotion of the masses. Countless methods have been tried and still fails to cater for the ever increasing demand. Perhaps it’s time to shift focus for a

Social

How ready are we for the next emergency?

By Dhiconomist June 21, 2019

It took just minutes for almost 80% of our GDP to disappear, 83 lives to be lost and to leave thousands homeless. The 2004 tsunami brought about one of the single biggest humanitarian crises in Maldivian history. Looking back, there is a lot to be grateful for. We have since bounced back economically, with tourist […]

Social

Leaving the grey economy

By Dhiconomist August 23, 2018

Informal arrangements have long been the norm for most things in the Maldives. From our date of independence, set to coincide with President Nasir’s visit to his dentist in Colombo to the hustle of everyday business in the modern-day Male’, a certain casualness permeates Maldivian life. Granted, we’ve polished up significantly in recent decades in […]

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Maldives, black swans and the unknown

By Dhiconomist August 16, 2018

It hit us one morning and within hours left 83 dead, scores homeless and a crippled economy in its wake. Though we’ve made a full recovery since the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, there is one lesson we have perhaps yet to learn. That is what risk professionals call the effect of the “black swan” […]

Social

Social Housing at current costs, a mirage?

By Dhiconomist August 9, 2018

There is perhaps no other issue that is at the forefront of our political and economic discourse than that of housing. A problem that we as a country have severely failed to address while it was clear for decades Male’ city was seeing an unprecedented rise in population. Now every political party has a grand […]

Social Travel

Taxis in Male’- The customer comes last

By Dhiconomist July 26, 2018

There are several things about Male’ that makes one long for the good old days. Taking a taxi in the city though elevates the nostalgia to new heights. Long gone are the days when it was any use calling the taxi company to book a cab especially during peak hours. This is perhaps understandable given […]

Culture Health Social

How to measure our wellbeing. The case for GNH

By Dhiconomist July 19, 2018

One of the central questions of economics is to do with meeting seemingly unlimited human needs. And mankind’s entire history is written in blood, conquest and creativity to this end. Advanced economies and developing ones, have however settled well in to we argue, a rather narrow view of human progress. Human development indexes are well […]

Culture Social

Violent Extremism: Are We Addressing the Root Causes?

By Dhiconomist July 12, 2018

The attempted assassination of President Nasheed on May 6th was a tragic manifestation of a threat that has been brewing in the underbelly of Maldivian society for decades. A threat that has been steadily emerging from the fringes into the mainstream. The bombing rocked the capital city and was not only an attack on President […]

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WAMCO can, WAMCO can’t

By Dhiconomist July 5, 2018

There has been little that has gained so much collective fury than our new waste management system. But let us first start with applauding the great work done by the many men and women that walk our streets, climb our buildings and take with them our refuse. This is not a diatribe about them but […]

Culture Social Travel

Why not today?

By Dhiconomist June 28, 2018

Walking down the road in an Island in Baa Atoll, named Hithaadhoo, found some Fruits in the shades of a tree with some price tags. Also, just next was a Jar with some Coins and Cash inside, may have around a 1000 MVR in total. The amazing thing was while staring at the Jar, I […]