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