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