The Maldives archipelago consists of around 1200 islands covering an area of approximately 800 kilometers in the Indian Ocean, and they are generally thought to be some of the most beautiful tropical islands on our planet. These islands, and indeed this country, are threatened by rising sea levels since they are all only a couple of meters above sea level.
Even a small increase in sea levels, eg. half a metre would relinquish many of the islands back to the Indian Ocean, and make pretty much all of them virtually uninhabitable. Maldives islands such Bandos island, Baros island, Filitheyo island and Kuredu island which are popular destinations for thousands of visitors each years may be lost to the sea within a matter of decades.
These islands are not only threatened by sea-level rises however, they are also under threat from ocean warming. Coral reefs are very sensitive to change in temperature and warmer oceans would destroy these reefs that play a significant part in protecting islands from wave erosion.
Whilst global warming has tended to be a point of conjecture among environmentalists, the unprecedented event of the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice in 2007 has caused many environmentalists to agree that warming is not only inevitable, but is happening more rapidly than was originally suspected.
In 2008 a leading climatologist, James Hansen, published a research paper which demonstrated that the actual safe limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was at most 350 parts per million, anything higher than that causing significant negative environmental effects globally. We have already reached that level with the current concentration at 390 ppm and rising.
It isnt only the Maldives who are rightfully on the verge of panic, countries like Bangladesh are already suffering saltwater flooding as sea levels rise and engulf low-lying land; Australia is experiencing severe droughts year after year as its climate changes, and forests across western North America and suffering from to pest insects that are multiplying in the warmer climate.
The fact that many countries are already suffering the effects of global warming is probably the main reason why no one is totally happy with the recent pledge of the G8 nations to take steps to try and restrict temperature increase to 2 degrees and atmospheric concentration of Carbon Dioxide to 450 parts per million. A few years ago, these levels might have been realistic but current scientific findings indicate that they are out of date.
Later this month, over 100 world leaders will meet at New York for the United Nations Climate Change Summit. On 24th October 2009, the Maldives will hold the largest underwater political demonstration in history with snorkelers and divers taking banners down to the coral reefs as a reminder to everyone of what is at stake. We cannot be really how long it will be but it seems inevitable that holidays to the Maldives may be over in the future. - 29892
Even a small increase in sea levels, eg. half a metre would relinquish many of the islands back to the Indian Ocean, and make pretty much all of them virtually uninhabitable. Maldives islands such Bandos island, Baros island, Filitheyo island and Kuredu island which are popular destinations for thousands of visitors each years may be lost to the sea within a matter of decades.
These islands are not only threatened by sea-level rises however, they are also under threat from ocean warming. Coral reefs are very sensitive to change in temperature and warmer oceans would destroy these reefs that play a significant part in protecting islands from wave erosion.
Whilst global warming has tended to be a point of conjecture among environmentalists, the unprecedented event of the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice in 2007 has caused many environmentalists to agree that warming is not only inevitable, but is happening more rapidly than was originally suspected.
In 2008 a leading climatologist, James Hansen, published a research paper which demonstrated that the actual safe limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was at most 350 parts per million, anything higher than that causing significant negative environmental effects globally. We have already reached that level with the current concentration at 390 ppm and rising.
It isnt only the Maldives who are rightfully on the verge of panic, countries like Bangladesh are already suffering saltwater flooding as sea levels rise and engulf low-lying land; Australia is experiencing severe droughts year after year as its climate changes, and forests across western North America and suffering from to pest insects that are multiplying in the warmer climate.
The fact that many countries are already suffering the effects of global warming is probably the main reason why no one is totally happy with the recent pledge of the G8 nations to take steps to try and restrict temperature increase to 2 degrees and atmospheric concentration of Carbon Dioxide to 450 parts per million. A few years ago, these levels might have been realistic but current scientific findings indicate that they are out of date.
Later this month, over 100 world leaders will meet at New York for the United Nations Climate Change Summit. On 24th October 2009, the Maldives will hold the largest underwater political demonstration in history with snorkelers and divers taking banners down to the coral reefs as a reminder to everyone of what is at stake. We cannot be really how long it will be but it seems inevitable that holidays to the Maldives may be over in the future. - 29892
About the Author:
Sarah is a travel journalist and likes to write about maldives islands and about holidays to the maldives.
