The Maldives

• What is the height above sea level in the Maldives?

  1.5m
• What percentage of the islands stand less that 1m above sea level?

  80%
• What is the average age of the people on the island?

  29.9 years
• Current population of the Maldives is ?

  Around 560,000
• What is one of the main reasons for sever costal erosion in the Maldives?

  Costal developments, especially the construction of new harbours
• The expected sea rise of 1.5 feet would mean what percentage of land would be lost ?

  77%
• What are the impacts of the construction of new harbours?

  Coastal erosion, the connection of the different island communities, a change in how sand moves along the shoreline, beaches disappearing, flooding
• How deep is the soil on most of the island?

  20cm
• What will flooding do to the soil?

  It will be easily washed away meaning plants cannot grow and survive
• What will happen to beaches as flooding transports material away?

  The land will be destroyed as there is nothing to absorb the energy of the wave
• What habitats will be destroyed as a result of warmer sea temperatures?

  Coral reefs
• flooding will result in the contamination of what supplies and what does this mean?

  freshwater, meaning that they will have to build expensive desalination plants or rely on rainwater
• A reduction in what industry will lead to poverty?

  Tourism
• Hotter and wetter conditions encourage what animals to spread disease?

  Mosquitoes
• Tourism produces what percentage of the country’s GDP?

  33%
• Flooding will also impact fishing, how much of the GDP does this industry make?

  10%
• How high was the sea wall that was put into place?

  3m
• How much did the construction of the sea wall in male cost and where did the money come from?

  $60 million, which had to be borrowed from the japanese government putting the country into debt
• The Maldives have planned a floating city, how many people can it house?

  20,000 people
• The Maldives have constructed a floating island, how many currently live there and how many are expected to arrive?

  50,000 and 200,000 expected to arrive
• How was the artificial island constructed?

  By pumping sand from the seabed onto a raised coral platform
• How much did the artificial island project cost?

  $50 million
• A projected wind turbine farm would create how much of the country’s energy?

  40%