A brief introduction describes Maldives geography and water resources and the recent history of water
supply and sanitation in both the capital, Male’, and the rural islands. The use of rainwater harvesting
and the available groundwater resources are described, and the vulnerability of the country’s
groundwater resources is stressed. Particular emphasis is given to the issues of poor sanitation, highly
permeable soils, over extraction and high population densities. The reasons for desalination becoming
necessary are made clear, and the experiences with desalination both in Male’ and other islands are set
out. Finally, the possibility of using desalination as a means of providing safe water on other densely
populated islands is discussed.