Problems
As the flattest country on Earth, the Republic of Maldives is extremely vulnerable to rising sea level and faces the very real possibility that the majority of its land area will be underwater by the end of this century. Today, the white sand beaches and extensive coral reefs of the Maldives' 1,190 islands draw more than 600,000 tourists annually. Sea level rise is likely to worsen existing environmental stresses in the Maldives, such as periodic flooding from storm surges, and a scarcity of freshwater for drinking and other purposes.
When will the Maldives be underwater
Given mid–level scenarios for global warming emissions, the Maldives is projected to experience sea level rise on the order of 1.5 feet (half a meter)—and to lose some 77 percent of its land area—by around the year 2100. If sea level were instead to rise by 3 feet (1 meter), the Maldives could be almost completely inundated by about 2085. The Maldivian government has identified many potential strategies for adapting to rising seas but is also considering relocating its people to a new homeland.
Solutions
Adaptation
Author: The national government of the Maldives
To defend against climate change and the resulting sea level rise, the national government of the Maldives has prepared a comprehensive National Adaptation Programme of Action, that attempts to critically consider and alleviate many of the serious threats the Maldives faces. The Maldives have already implemented several measures to combat sea level rise, including building a wall around the capital Malé and refurbishing local infrastructure, particularly ports. The country began a large-scale land reclamation project in Hulhumalé in the late 1990s, partly in preparation for relocation from elsewhere in the country. Also a Dutch company has proposed building 5000 floating homes near Malé. Migration is also a potential solution for Maldivians. In November 2008, the president announced the country's interest in buying a new homeland, though this approach would come at a high price, both financially and culturally.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_the_Maldives
Maldives Floating City
Author: Developer Dutch Docklands and the architects of Waterstudio
Maldives Floating City is the first development of a new era in which Maldivians return to the water with resilient eco-friendly floating projects. The city has a nature-based structure of roads and water canals resembling the beautiful and efficient way in which real brain coral is organised. The idea of having brain coral as the leading concept is that the goal of living with nature and learning to improve and respect natural coral is at the heart of the development, which leads to new knowledge emphasising the responsibility Maldives takes as centre for coral protection in the world. Maldives Floating City, a benchmark for vibrant communities beyond the waterfront. It is the first floating city with thousands of houses that has full governmental support, based on a legal framework and title deeds for the owners. It also offers the unique possibility to obtain a residence-permit with the purchase of a house, inviting the international community to live here (semi) permanently and enjoy the Maldivian lifestyle, mixing green values with a sense of place based on centuries of experience with living with the sea. And then the perfect weather and tropical surroundings… Maldives Floating City is based on the local culture of this sea-farers nation. Maldivians have a strong relation with the sea, so living on water is aligned with their culture and history. The city characterizes as a boating community, using the canals as main infrastructure for logistics and gateways, and by doing so reducing land-based movements to walking and biking on natural white sand roads. No cars are allowed, only bicycles and electric noise-free buggies/scooters. Developer Dutch Docklands and the architects of Waterstudio have conceptualized a next-generation sea-level rise-proof urban development, bringing safety and development space to the Maldives with a mix of green technology, safety, commercial viability and a healthy new lifestyle, which will be the backbone of future floating cities. By doing so, the Maldivians will rewrite their destiny from climate refugees to climate innovators. Located on only ten minutes by boat from the capital Male and the international airport, the Maldives Floating City is a dynamic, flexible city with a smart grid that can respond to dynamic demand, weather and climate change. It uses innovative sustainable development technologies and applies ecological best practices to protect, preserve and enhance the pristine marine eco-system. This concept is a world first and a will be the benchmark for future developments around the globe. It is a unique city, both above and underneath the water surface, creating blue habitats projecting and stimulating coral growth. Artificial coral banks will be attached to the underside of the city, which will stimulate coral to grow naturally. The submerged and protected coral reefs of the lagoon will provide a natural wave (reduction) breaker that, in combination with the interrelated grid of floating structures, provides comfort and safety for the residents.
Gallery
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Timelines
2022
Currently, the annual rise is approximately 3mm per year. Regional variations exist due to natural variability in regional winds and ocean currents, which can occur over periods of days to months or even decades. But locally other factors can also play an important role, such as uplift (e.g. continued rebound from Ice Age glacier weight) or subsidence of the ground, changes in water tables due to water extraction or other water management, and even due to the effects from local erosion. Rising sea levels create not only stress on the physical coastline, but also on coastal ecosystems. Saltwater intrusions can contaminate freshwater aquifers, many of which sustain municipal and agricultural water supplies and natural ecosystems. As global temperatures continue to warm, sea level will keep rising for a long time because there is a substantial lag to reaching an equilibrium. The magnitude of the rise will depend strongly on the rate of future carbon dioxide emissions and future global warming, and the speed might increasingly depend on the rate of glacier and ice sheet melting.
2020
In 2020, a three-year study at the University of Plymouth found that as tides move sediment to create higher elevation, the islands, and also Tuvalu and Kiribati, may rise instead of sink.
2012
Former president Mohamed Nasheed said in 2012 that "If carbon emissions continue at the rate they are climbing today, my country will be under water in seven years." He has called for more climate change mitigation action while on the American television shows The Daily Show and the Late Show with David Letterman, and hosted "the world's first underwater cabinet meeting" in 2009 to raise awareness of the threats posed by climate change.Concerns over rising sea levels have also been expressed by Nasheed's predecessor, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
2008
In 2008, Nasheed announced plans to look into purchasing new land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia because of his concerns about global warming, and the possibility of much of the islands being inundated by the rising sea. The purchase of land will be made from a fund generated by tourism. The president explained his intentions: "We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades".
2007
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 report predicted the upper limit of the sea level rises will be 59 centimetres (23 in) by 2100, which means that most of the republic's 200 inhabited islands may need to be abandoned.According to researchers from the University of Southampton, the Maldives are the third most endangered island nation due to flooding from climate change as a percentage of population. In 2007, a series of swells forced the evacuation of more than 1,600 people from their homes and damaged more than 500 housing units.
2002
To overcome population pressure, a new island was created by dredging sand and claiming land from the sea. Construction finished on the new island (Figure), Hulhumalé in 2002 and it is now home to over 20,000 people. With some knowledge of sea-level rise, engineers raised the island to 2 m above mean sea-level.
1988
In 1988, Maldivian authorities claimed that sea rise would "completely cover this Indian Ocean nation of 1,196 small islands within the next 30 years. Regional assessments have highlighted potential impacts, including salinisation, flood damage to agricultural land and buildings, and in the worst case forced migration.
1950
Since the 1950s, sea level in and around the Maldives has been rising at a rate of 0.03–0.06 inches (0.8–1.6 millimeters) per year. Because of the Maldivian topography, small changes in sea level translate into extensive land inundation.