Maldives's coral ecosystem
The Maldives, consisting of 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean, boasts a unique coral ecosystem that is integral to its environmental health and economy. This ecosystem serves as a habitat for diverse marine life, making it crucial for both local fishing practices and the tourism industry, which significantly contributes to the nation's economy. The Maldives is particularly vulnerable to climate change, as it is the lowest-lying country in the world, with an average elevation of just 5 feet above sea level. This vulnerability has prompted the nation to pursue ambitious renewable energy goals, aspiring to become carbon-neutral by 2030. The reliance on fossil fuels for energy needs and the pressures of tourism and fishing have heightened concerns about sustainability and environmental preservation. As the coral reefs face threats from rising sea levels and climate change, the Maldives has gained international attention for its efforts to combat these issues and showcase leadership in environmental initiatives. Despite the challenges ahead, the nation’s commitment to renewable energy and ecosystem protection reflects a broader awareness of global environmental responsibilities.
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Maldives's coral ecosystem
Official Name: Republic of Maldives.
Summary: The Maldives is a small nation consisting of 1,192 islands located in the Indian Ocean, of which around 200 are inhabited by Maldivian nationals and another 100 are used as tourist resorts.
In 2009, the Maldives set the most radical renewable energy goal in the world: to become a carbon-neutral state by 2020. Although the country did not reach that goal, it readjusted its target year to 2030. There are two key motivations behind the Maldives’ goal of becoming carbon neutral. First, the Maldives islands constitute the lowest-lying country in the world, averaging only 5 feet (1.5 meters) above sea level, which makes it extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise induced by global warming. Experts forecast the entire nation will be underwater by 2100. Second, the Maldives is highly dependent on oil imports for its energy needs and is therefore very vulnerable to oil price increases. A spike in oil prices in the late 2000s saw petroleum prices double across the country, and as a result the Maldives’ fuel security and socioeconomic welfare are likely to improve as it increases its ability to generate renewable energy from indigenous natural resources.
Traditionally, Maldivian residents relied on energy from wood and biomass for cooking, and utilized wind energy to sail between islands for trade and social activities.
However, as economic development has progressed over the past 50 years, reliance on imported fossil fuels has also increased for electricity, cooking, and transport. Demand varies greatly between islands. Most islands have fewer than 1,000 people, and peak demand can be as low as 30 kilowatts. However, the energy challenge is far more acute in the densely packed capital, Malé, which hosts 30 percent of the country’s total population in a space of just 2.5 miles (4 kilometers).
All islands in the Maldives now have access to electricity, although the quality of service varies and blackouts are a common experience in some outer islands. Electrical energy is delivered by diesel-powered generators, which are acknowledged by the government as inefficient, unreliable, and expensive to run. Electricity prices are consequently high, although the government subsidizes the prices to the public. Energy for cooking tends to come from liquid petroleum gas rather than local wood or biomass, resulting from a scarcity of wood resources, government restrictions on tree cutting, improved convenience, and affordability.
Tourism and Fishing
Finally, the nation’s economy is based largely on two activities, tourism and fishing, both of which require high levels of motorboat transport between islands and out to sea, and each additionally fueled by oil and petroleum imports.
Thus, the Maldives is highly dependent on a resource that it does not possess and must therefore import. With such high dependence on fossil fuels, the Maldives carbon-neutral goal serves two distinct purposes. First, a concerted move toward supporting renewable energy generation could significantly boost the country’s economy through reducing reliance on oil imports and increasing energy security. The islands have strong equatorial sunshine and moderate winds, making energy from solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, and wind power a possibility. Research is also focused on wave, tidal, and ocean thermal technologies through a partnership with the Scottish government, and a United Nations Development Programme project has identified renewable energy sources, such as landfill gas from biologically degradable waste and combined heat and power (CHP) from biomass, as suitable for some islands. However, installation of any renewable energy comes with high capital costs, and the Maldives will require significant international funding to achieve its goal.
The second purpose of declaring such an ambitious goal is to provide world leadership in developing a truly carbon-neutral national economy. In real terms, the Maldives carbon footprint is estimated at less than 0.01 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions; nevertheless, the nation’s actions and radical stance on this issue have gained significant global attention and could catalyze other governments to set similarly ambitious goals. Famously, the Maldivian president and his cabinet staged an underwater meeting in 2009, demonstrating the grave risks faced by the country, as the climate-change-induced rise in sea level threatens to sink the nation’s islands.
Whether the Maldives meets its carbon-neutral target remains to be seen. Demand for fuel and electrical services continues to rise across the islands, and current use of renewable resources is negligible, restricted to solar PV in navigation lights, outer-island telecommunication systems, and some use of solar water heaters.
Bibliography
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Hekkerta, M. P. “Renewable Energy Technologies in the Maldives: Determining the Potential.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 11 (2007).
"Maldives." CIA World Factbook, 30 July 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/maldives/. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
"Maldives: Towards a Sustainable Net-Zero Future." World Bank, 13 July 2021, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2021/07/12/towards-a-sustainable-net-zero-future-in-maldives. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
van der Akker, J., and M. Saleem. Maldives: Renewable Energy Technology Development and Application Project; Mid-Term Review. Report prepared for the United Nations Development Programme and Global Environment Facility, 2007.