Maldives- Rising Sea Level Flashcards
What’s the population of the Maldives?
300,000 people
How many inhabited islands are there?
199
What’s the average height above sea level?
1.5m
How long do scientists think it will be for the islands to completely submerged?
50-100 years
Economic Impacts: What’s the Maldives largest export?
Fish
Economic Impacts: What is the largest industry in the Maldives?
Tourism
Economic Impacts: What may cause the main airport to stop working properly?
Coastal Flooding
Economic Impacts: What will happen if the main airport can’t work properly?
The country will be cut off from international tourists
Economic Impacts: What happens if they are cut off from international tourists?
Their income will be massively reduced
Economic Impacts: How can coastal flooding damage the fishing industry?
It damages fish processing plants
Economic Impacts: What happens if fish processing plants are damaged?
There will be a reduction in the amount of fish they can export
Economic Impacts: What happens if they have less fish to export?
Their income is reduced
Social Impacts: What would happen to houses if there was a severe flood?
They could be damaged or destroyed
Social Impacts: What could the flooding cause many communities to be?
Homeless
Social Impacts: What type of water would be less available?
Freshwater
Social Impacts: What would pollute the freshwater?
Salty seawater
Social Impacts: What would islands have to rely on if their water was polluted?
Rainwater
Social Impacts: How would they meet their water demands using rainwater?
Build expensive desalination plants
Environmental Impacts: What would a loss of beaches cause?
A loss of habitat
Environmental Impacts: What does coastal flooding do to beaches?
Wear them away at a rapid rate
Environmental Impacts: What happens when beaches have been eroded?
The land behind is exposed to the effects of flooding
Environmental Impacts: How deep is the soil?
20cm or less
Environmental Impacts: What would happen if coastal floods washed away the soil layer?
Most plants wouldn’t be able to grow
Political Impacts: How much did the Japanese Government give the Maldives to build a sea wall?
$60 million