Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen traveller and watersports enthusiast. Originally from Scotland, she now resides in London.
The Maldives are one of the most beautiful collections of islands on Earth; boasting blue lagoons, lush tropical forests, white sandy beaches and colourful coral reefs. The idyllic islands are popular with tourists who come to experience a true island paradise, but this picture-perfect archipelago is likely to be the first and biggest victim of rising sea levels, which government scientists say are rising by almost 1cm per year. That might not sound like a lot, but when the highest natural point of your country is only 2.3 meters above sea level, and much of it a lot lower than that, the threat of submersion is very real.
It's therefore perhaps not surprising that the Maldives were the first country to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol, a set of maximum emissions targets that industrialised countries should meet. However, on a global scale the Maldives' carbon emissions are negligible, and while countries like the USA continue to delay their commitment to cutting carbon, sea levels continue to rise and time is running out for the islands.
In an effort to buy time, the Maldives' capital, Male, has been surrounded by a 3m high wall, a project which took 14 years to complete and cost $63m. However, the wall offers protection for just one of Maldives' 1200 islands (200 of which are inhabited) and even this impressive structure can only hold off Neptune for so long.
The rising waters pose a huge problem, not just for the tourist industry, which includes dozens of luxury hotels in the Maldives but also for the islands' inhabitants. Some atolls have already begun to plan migrations, as tidal surges present a more regular problem, with homes being flooded every couple of weeks in some areas. On one island, Kanholhudoo, 60 percent of the residents have already volunteered to evacuate over the next 15 years, and presumably those left behind will eventually have to go the same way.
The Maldives government is also trying to combat the effect of climate change by encouraging the forestation of beaches to prevent erosion, and protecting the coral reefs, which in turn provide a barrier from tidal surges. However, these actions merely address the symptoms of rising seas and ultimately do nothing to stop the cause.
The unfortunate truth for the Maldives is that its future lies in the hands of the major, industrialised nations of the world. It is the conduct of the USA, Russia, China, India and Europe that will ultimately seal the Maldives' fate unless serious, major action is taken to tackle global warming very soon.
It seems that the Maldives are destined to become the next Atlantis - an entire nation swallowed up by the sea; a beautiful paradise - forever lost.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Global Warming, Climate Change and the Environment
- Gandhi, Globalization and Climate Change
- Global Warming - Does Global Warming Lead To A High Death Rate
- Making Money on the Global Warming Crisis
- Global Warming Terms Explained
- Global Studies on Climate Change
- Global Warming Issues Are in your Hands
- The Important Differences Between "Climate Change" and "Global Warming"
Romantic Honeymoon Vacation in Kerala
By: Terence Lewis | 09/11/2009Looking for a place filled with romance and beauty? Well, visit to Kerala in India and you will be at your dream destination for your romantic vacation. Proceed to Kerala in India to celebrate your romantic honeymoon vacation. There are various romantic places offering just right ambiance for honeymooning couples or lovers.
Things to Do In Cancun Mexico
By: Shaun Acosta | 07/11/2009Cancun is one of the most important tourist complexes in Mexico and in the world. Its superb location, shaped like an island, its year-round mild climate, and it's gorgeous, warm, sandy white beaches washed by the Caribbean sea are ideal for water sports. The temperature of the city is warm and tropical, moderated by the sea breezes created by onshore trade winds, which circulate through its avenues. This is one of the reasons why tourists keep on coming back and forth to Cancun. It gi...
Things You Should Do In Cancun, Mexico
By: Jame Mcgowan | 07/11/2009Cancun is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun can be found in the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico from the island of Cuba in the Greater Antilles. The Cancun region is often called as the Mexican Caribbean. Cancun is the municipal seat of the Benito Juarez municipality and a world-renowned tourist destination. The heart of the city located on the mainland which connects the Nichupté and lagoons to a narrow 7-shaped island w...
Royal Rajasthan on Wheels – The Royal Chug to Mystic Land
By: harren lee | 06/11/2009Rajasthan, the land of chivalry and romance, boasts of immensely rich history and heritage. Today, the royal state boasts of hundreds of havelis, forts, palaces, citadels and mansions that tell the saga of the yore. To traverse such a diversified state is a perpetual work-in-progress. The Royal Rajasthan on Wheels weaves a kaleidoscopic sojourn covering the choicest destinations of Rajasthan.
The nagarhole national park” the jungle”
By: prasad | 05/11/2009Nagarhole national park is located in Karnataka and is about 150 km from the silicon city Bangalore , the national park stretches itself for over 247 square-mile in Karnataka and have astonishingly beautiful wildlife , it was hard for me to believe that this beautiful jungle has one of India’s largest tiger reserves and there are wonderful resorts there which touch the jungle. Other than tigers you can see animals such as leopards, wild elephants, dholes and so on.
Explore India: Travelling in Trains, Indian Railways
By: NAVAL LANGA | 05/11/2009For Indian people, railways are like veins in body carrying the most important tasks. In addition to the largest employment provider in world, the Indian Railways is an institution that is crucial for economic development of Indian people.
Historic Beauty Comes Alive In Highlands, NC
By: Martin Najbrt | 04/11/2009If you are looking for a place to rest your weary soul there are few options that will compare to the little piece of heaven known as Highlands, North Carolina. You can find this quaint little getaway in the southwestern corner of North Carolina nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. This area, which finds itself right in the midst of the Nantahala National Forest, is a sight to behold. Although the population in Highlands is only around a thousand people that changes during the tourism season...
Tour China: Exploring the Red Giant
By: Elisha Burberry | 26/03/2008 | Exotic LocationsChina's vast size and massive diversity may at first seem bewildering to the traveller, but with such a great choice of escorted tours on offer, getting the most from this fascinating land is easy.
Stay in Touch With Long Distance Video Calling
By: Elisha Burberry | 24/03/2008 | Travel TipsIt is now extremely easy to stay in touch from anywhere in the world, and thanks to free video messaging conversations with friends and family are only a click away.
Hungary for Hot Water? the Baths of Budapest
By: Elisha Burberry | 07/03/2008 | DestinationsBudapest's opulent bath houses are drawing more and more Brits who are Hungary for a hot and steamy experience in this Eastern European capital.
Call of the Clog: Holidays in Holland
By: Elisha Burberry | 06/03/2008 | DestinationsMany Brits typically head south on their holidays, hoping to escape the UK's dreary climate in search of some fun in the sun; however Holland is an excellent place to visit if you're looking for culture, nature and great cuisine.
Photography: Thanks for the Memories
By: Elisha Burberry | 05/03/2008 | Visual ArtPhotography, the way it is taken and the way we use it has evolved out of all recognition since the first photograph was created in 1826.
First-time Buyer Affordability 'worsens'
By: Elisha Burberry | 05/03/2008 | Real EstateFirst-time buyers are finding it harder than ever to fund the purchase of their first property. However, an internet savings account could help them save for their deposit.
Paradise Drowning: Maldives Under Threat
By: Elisha Burberry | 20/02/2008 | Exotic LocationsAs the lowest country in the world, the Maldives - a collection of some 1200 islands - will be the first nation to go under as sea levels continue to rise due to climate change.
Society’s Elite Gear Up for the Gumball 3000 Rally
By: Elisha Burberry | 20/02/2008 | CarsSince 1999 the Gumball 3000 - a 3000 mile international, transcontinental rally that takes place on public roads around the world - has been the annual adventure playground for society’s elite with celebrities racing every day and partying every night.