Vulnerability of the Maldive Islands to rises in sea level
The Maldives, a small island nation in the central Indian Ocean, faces significant vulnerability to rising sea levels due to its low elevation, with an average ground level of just 1.5 meters above sea level. Comprising 1,192 islands, many of which are coral reefs, the Maldives supports a population of over 389,000, predominantly dependent on tourism, which has become a primary source of income and government revenue. As global warming progresses, scientists predict sea levels could rise by 0.5 to 1.4 meters during the 21st century, threatening the very existence of the islands. The potential worst-case scenario includes complete inundation, prompting national leaders to consider drastic measures, such as acquiring land abroad for future relocation.
In response to this existential threat, the Maldivian government has initiated the construction of Hulhumalé, an artificial island designed to be more climate-resilient, with plans for sustainable urban development. As of 2022, over 53,000 residents live there, utilizing advanced designs to combat rising temperatures and manage resources sustainably. Additionally, the government, in collaboration with international allies, seeks to address climate change by advocating for reduced emissions globally. The situation underscores the delicate balance between preserving the Maldives' unique environment and addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change.
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Vulnerability of the Maldive Islands to rises in sea level
IDENTIFICATION: Small island nation in the central Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka
Because of their very low elevation, the Maldive Islands are especially vulnerable to the rises in sea level that are projected to accompany progressive global warming.
The Maldives or Maldive Islands, formally known as the Republic of Maldives, comprise 1,192 very small islands, many of which are little more than coral reefs resting on the tips of an undersea volcanic ridge running north-south in the Indian Ocean some 700 kilometers (435 miles) southwest of Sri Lanka. The landmass of the islands amounts to 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) spread over an ocean area of some 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles). The islands are protected by reefs that form lagoons around them, shielding them from the ocean waves, especially during the storms that rage annually from April to October. Some 200 of the islands are inhabited, supporting a of more than 389,000. The republic’s capital is Malé, with a population of just over 177,000. More than half a million tourists arrive in the Maldives every year, passing through the large international airport situated near the capital.
Until the mid-twentieth century, the population of the Maldives was approximately 100,000 and was largely supported by fishing, with a small amount of agriculture. Around 1970, the islands were discovered by the tourist industry, and by 2010, some 30 percent of the islands’ gross domestic product and 90 percent of government revenues were accounted for by tourism. Approximately one hundred resorts were developed on some of the previously uninhabited islands, offering scuba diving, surfing, fishing, cruising, and sunbathing on the white sandy beaches as their main attractions. The population of the Maldives has grown and has been supplemented by large numbers of workers from mainland India. Food and freshwater resources of the islands have been put under increasing strain, and competition for suitable living space has grown with the population.
However, the Maldives’ dependence on the tourist industry and the population pressures the islands have experienced as a result are overshadowed as threats to the nation by the projected rise in sea levels that could be caused by the melting of the earth’s ice shelves and glaciers as global warming progresses. The average ground level in the islands is only 1.5 meters (5 feet) above sea level, and the highest point is only 2.3 meters (7.5 feet). Scientists have estimated that a rise in sea levels from 0.5 to 1.4 meters (1.7 to 4.6 feet) could occur during the twenty-first century. The worst-case scenario for the island nation of Maldives is complete inundation.
In 2008, the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, proposed taxing tourists to create a sovereign wealth fund that the nation could use to buy land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia in the event that the islands are flooded and their inhabitants become ecological refugees. This radical plan was accepted, but the Maldives also joined with other members of the Alliance of Small Island States to pressure larger nations to reduce their emissions (which have been linked to global warming) and to provide help and resources to island states affected by rising sea levels.
Another environmental problem for the Maldives was the damage that was done to the islands’ coral reefs by the Asian tsunami of 2004. A massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean produced waves more than 4 meters (13 feet) high, engulfing the nation and causing widespread destruction, including to the fragile reef ecosystems.
In 2021, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimated that with global sea levels rising on average by three to four millimeters per year, the Maldives could be completely uninhabitable by 2050. Previously, in 2020, the BBC reported that the Maldivian government was well underway in its construction of an artificial island, Hulhumalé, off the coast of Malé intended to serve as a more climate-resilient dwelling for the country's inhabitants. Construction of the island began in 1997 and proceeded in phases. Phase 1 will be 188 hectares and should have capacity for a population of 88,000. Phase 2, which the government expected to be completed by 2035, will span 244 hectares and accommodate 145,000 residents. The phases will be connected by bridges that will span a channel between them.
By 2022, more than 53,000 people were living on the Phase 1 islend. Initially, it was being used to alleviate a shortage of housing in the overcrowded capital. To create and enlarge Hulhumalé, millions of tons of sand have been pumped from the ocean floor. The manufactured island rises to 2 meters above sea level.
The buildings on Hulhumalé, including housing complexes, are designed to be sustainable. Residential buildings have been designed to reduce heat, which is expected to become an increasing concern in the twenty-first century. The streets are designed with wind corridors to reduce the need for air conditioning and green areas including parks and a wetland will also reduce heat. Solar panels have been installed on roofs of high rise buildings on Phase 1. Hulhumalé will also have community urban farming plots where sustainable urban farming practices will be employed. Other plans include a sustainable waste management facility and a waste-to-energy treatment plant on the nearby island of Thilafushi.
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