| The Maldives are one of the most beautiful collections | | | | The rising waters pose a huge problem, not just for |
| of islands on Earth; boasting blue lagoons, lush tropical | | | | the tourist industry, which includes dozens of luxury |
| forests, white sandy beaches and colourful coral reefs. | | | | hotels in the Maldives but also for the islands' |
| The idyllic islands are popular with tourists who come | | | | inhabitants. Some atolls have already begun to plan |
| to experience a true island paradise, but this | | | | migrations, as tidal surges present a more regular |
| picture-perfect archipelago is likely to be the first and | | | | problem, with homes being flooded every couple of |
| biggest victim of rising sea levels, which government | | | | weeks in some areas. On one island, Kanholhudoo, 60 |
| scientists say are rising by almost 1cm per year. That | | | | percent of the residents have already volunteered to |
| might not sound like a lot, but when the highest natural | | | | evacuate over the next 15 years, and presumably |
| point of your country is only 2.3 meters above sea | | | | those left behind will eventually have to go the same |
| level, and much of it a lot lower than that, the threat of | | | | way. |
| submersion is very real. | | | | The Maldives government is also trying to combat the |
| It's therefore perhaps not surprising that the Maldives | | | | effect of climate change by encouraging the |
| were the first country to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol, | | | | forestation of beaches to prevent erosion, and |
| a set of maximum emissions targets that industrialised | | | | protecting the coral reefs, which in turn provide a |
| countries should meet. However, on a global scale the | | | | barrier from tidal surges. However, these actions |
| Maldives' carbon emissions are negligible, and while | | | | merely address the symptoms of rising seas and |
| countries like the USA continue to delay their | | | | ultimately do nothing to stop the cause. |
| commitment to cutting carbon, sea levels continue to | | | | The unfortunate truth for the Maldives is that its future |
| rise and time is running out for the islands. | | | | lies in the hands of the major, industrialised nations of |
| In an effort to buy time, the Maldives' capital, Male, has | | | | the world. It is the conduct of the USA, Russia, China, |
| been surrounded by a 3m high wall, a project which | | | | India and Europe that will ultimately seal the Maldives' |
| took 14 years to complete and cost $63m. However, | | | | fate unless serious, major action is taken to tackle |
| the wall offers protection for just one of Maldives' | | | | global warming very soon. |
| 1200 islands (200 of which are inhabited) and even this | | | | It seems that the Maldives are destined to become the |
| impressive structure can only hold off Neptune for so | | | | next Atlantis - an entire nation swallowed up by the |
| long. | | | | sea; a beautiful paradise - forever lost. |