Welcome back,
Today we’re looking at the direct impacts of the climate crisis. The main
reason why people don’t believe in climate change is that they can’t see it
with their own eyes. So, we’re going to have a look at the Maldives where the
effects of climate change become more obvious with every passing year.
Maldives
The full name of the Maldives is The Republic of the Maldives. It is an
independent country made up of about 1 200 islands in the North Indian Ocean.
The northernmost island is situated 370 miles away from the mainland (India).
The islands are actually the tips of an ancient volcanic mountain range that
is now almost completely submerged. In fact, the highest point is 1.8m-2.4m
above sea level with the average elevation being 1m above sea level. The
islands have a large tourism industry, due to the stunning nature found on and
around the islands. 500 000 - 1 500 000 tourists visit the islands each year.
This is mainly 'nature tourism'. The Maldives also have a fish industry, which
brings less than 10% of their GDP.
Rising temperatures
The rising water temperatures caused by climate change are a massive threat to
the Maldives. It leads to the bleaching and death of the stunning coral reefs
around the islands. These coral reefs are not only a driving factor in the
tourism industry but also protect the islands from storms and larger waves. So
without these coral reefs, the Maldives will be at higher risk of flooding.
The reefs also provide food and shelter for fish. So if the coral reefs go,
the fishing industry would shrink, which would have a massive economic impact.
Rising sea levels
Arguably, the biggest threat is rising sea levels. The sea is estimated to
rise 10-100cm by 2100. Seeing as the islands have an average height of 1m
(100cm), almost the entire country will be submerged by the end of this
century and any remaining bits of land will be at very high risk of annual
flooding. The climate crisis is also fueling more and more 'natural'
disasters. The islands are at high risk of flooding due to tsunamis,
hurricanes and other large storms. The rising sea level could also contaminate
fresh drinking water with seawater. This will lead to disease outbreaks.
Basically, the Republic of Maldives is in great danger due to the climate
crisis. To make it even sadder, they are not proportionally responsible for
it. There are many other places at risk of similar fates.
Next year, we will be discontinuing the Top Tips series. It has been a cool
series to write but now it's time for something new. Here's the vote so that you can decide what we do next year!
Your Green World Blog Team💚
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Maldives
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2010/04/06/climate-change-in-the-maldives
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a8f8b5b0477f458ea70826756b46a275
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2010/04/06/climate-change-in-the-maldives
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a8f8b5b0477f458ea70826756b46a275
Image:
Comments
Post a Comment