Climate change

• Hulhumale


  A new island, reclaimed from the sea, built 2m above sea level and aimed to house 150k by 2020 and give the islanders 50 more years' of survival time
• Male


  The capital, with a 3m sea wall surrounding it which was built with aid from Japan
• Floating golf course


  Being built to increase tourism rates
• Plans to relocate the population


  To new territory in Sri Lanka, India or Australia
• New houses


  Being built on stilts on the highest lands
• Average sea levels have risen by 20cm since 1900
• By 2100, sea levels are expected to rise by a further 26-82cm
• Maldivies will be inhabitable by 2040, and fully submerged by 2100
• Sea levels rise


  Because of melting ice caps and thermal expansion of water. When water gets heated the particles move faster and take up more room
• 21% of the population live before the poverty line
• Over 90% of the governments income comes from tourist related taxes
• Fishing is the second largest industry after tourism
• Fishing yeilds have halved due to overfishing
• Traditional way of life will be lost if the islands sink
• Tidal surges cause salination (levels of salt increase in the soil making it infertile) of farm land reducing food production
• The islands are at greater risk from the effects of hurricanes
• Coral reefs are damaged not only from bleaching but from rising sea levels
• Tidal surges flood homes regularly
• The nearly 400k residents of the Maldives will have to be evacuated if trends continue