🌊Maldives Coastal Flooding Case Study Flashcards
Population of Maldives?
300,000
Island height?
1.5m above sea level
80% of land is below 1m
Think will be submerged in 50-100 years
Causes of sea level rising?
Thermal expansion - atmosphere gets warmer and heats up the molecules in the sea so they expand and sea rises
Global warming- glaciers and ice caps melt
Eustatic change- where ice on land melts and water runs into sea
Economic impacts of sea levels rising?
Puts an end to tourist industry which makes up 28% of country’s GDP
Cataloging of plants and animals is costly
Fish are the Maldives largest export but flooding damages fish processing plants and damages fishing industry less jobs
Social impacts of rising sea level?
People will be forced to leave homes and become environmental refugees- 300,000 population
Fishing is second largest industry, no food or jobs
Traditional way of life is lost
Refugees have to go else where which causes civil unrest in other countries, political
Solutions?
Maldives government asking Japanese government for 60 million dollars to build sea wall 3m
Maldives has pledged to become carbon neutral and is encouraging other governments to do the same
Gov is thinking about buying land in India and Australia and moving people there before islands become unlovable, thinking ahead
International agreements eg Paris agreements
Environmental impacts?
Loss of beaches- wears away beaches at rapid rate so loss of habitats and exposure of land
Loss of soil- soil is only 20cm deep or less? Could easily wash this away meaning plants can’t grow
Coral reefs will get bleached as less water means more exposure
Preventing species loss will be difficult some are unique to Maldives
Political impacts?
- Maldives gov has to ask Jap gov for 60 million to build a 3m sea wall
- Maldives gov is encouraging other govs to become carbon neutral
- gov is thinking about buying land in India and Australia and moving Maldivians there before island comes uninhabitable
