Tourist paradise ‘under threat’
The idyllic Maldives could be uninhabitable in 100 years’ time because of rising sea levels.
The holiday islands are slowly but surely being enveloped by the sea and in a century could be completely under water, scientists are warning.
Four out of five of the 200 islands are only a metre or so above sea level now, and the water is rising at a rate of up to 0.9cm a year, BBC News reports.
The Maldives government is trying to plant more trees to slow down the rate of beach erosion, and is supporting a scheme to remove litter and debris from the islands’ coral reefs, which form a natural barrier against tidal surges. A 10ft wall has also been built around the capital Male.
As well as the thousands of tourists who got there, the islands have a population of about 360,000, who are facing evacuation if the scientists prove to be correct.
Phil Davies
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