jisMaldives Case Study

The Maldives, formally known as the Republic of Maldives, is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, South-East from India and is made up of a group of 26 atolls. The country itself covers a total area of roughly 90,000km which also makes it one of the worlds most dispersed country in geographical terms. The country has a population of over 390,000 people most of which are located in the countrys largest city and capital Mal. The Republic of Maldives is Asias smallest country in terms of its land area and population. Also, the countrys ground level of 1.5 metres above sea level makes it the worlds lowest country. This will prove to be a great concern to the people of Maldives because of global sea levels rising. There is much debate on what is the actual cause of sea levels rising but the fact is that it is happening. Many believe that sea levels are rising as a result of global warming caused by greenhouse gases most predominantly, carbon dioxide. Global warming is the warming of the planet leading to the increase in average global temperatures. Sea levels are said to be rising because global warming is leading to more and more of the polar ice caps to be melted dumping more water into the oceans. The increase in average global temperatures are also said to be causing thermal expansion of the oceans leading to more sea level rise. The change in sea levels will have a devastating impact on the tourism industry of the Maldives. Coral reefs would be destroyed by bleaching, affecting the biodiversity of the surrounding area. The coral reefs surrounding the Maldives are home to nearly 300 different species of fish and include a variety of sea turtles, echinoderms, sea grasses, alga and sponges, crustaceans and tunicates. Rising sea levels also lead to faster rate of coastal erosion, which is to result in much of the beautiful beaches slowly disappearing away. The tourism industry all depend on the natural beauties of the islands and its surrounding but the destruction of these could lead to the damage of the countrys tourism industry. Tourism is plays a very important role in the Maldives economy as it alone accounts for about 28 per cent of the GDP and for more than 60 per cent of its foreign exchange. A decline in tourism would also lead to many of the local people of the Maldives to become unemployed. The tourism industry has provided around 25,000 jobs for the local people and the decline in tourism would affect a lot of the peoples livelihood. Unemployment in the area would also have a multiplier effect on the rest of the country where the locals that used to work for the tourism industry dont have any disposable income and therefore other businesses not related to the industry that rely on income from the now unemployed also become effected.

Unemployment in the Maldives also results in the government having to spend on the social needs of these people which in the end leads to the government not having enough money to be spent on sea defences which will be needed for protection against the rising sea levels. Not being able to protect the coasts will ultimately cause the Maldives to slowly disappear below the sea levels. The government of the Republic of Maldives acknowledge this major issue that would have very big impact on the livelihood of the people, the economy of the country as well as the surrounding environment. The country has signed the Kyoto protocol which is an international agreement where countries try to cut their greenhouse emissions which is the reason for global warming and the change in sea levels. By the year 2020, the Republic of Maldives plans to eliminate or offset all of its greenhouse gas emissions. Although the Maldives plan to become a carbon neutral nation, it would not have a major impact on stopping global warming but simply it is just an act to make a statement to other countries in particular the ones that contribute a substantial amount to global warming. Currently, the island capital of Mal has also begun taking measures to protect the country from flooding and eventual submerging under the ocean. Sea walls have been built surrounding the islands. But, these sea walls are only a temporary solution for the time being as sea levels continue to rise, these sea walls soon would be submerged under the waters. The government have already begun taking measures to combat the cause of rising sea levels (global warming) but this would not be enough to stop it and provides the government an even bigger challenge. There have already been experiments done in the Maldives which involves growing coral reefs in the area. Although it is still experimental it does provide some hope in reviving this natural feature which may in turn revive the tourism industry as well as acting as a natural defence against the sea. Some believe that the government are even looking into constructing a manmade island and relocating the Maldivian people here. However, much thought needs to be given in the planning of this construction if it were to go forward. The construction of this island would also cost a lot for the government so it may not be a realistic response to the change in sea levels. Whatever the countrys response, there is no escaping the fact that sea levels will continue to rise, eventually leading to the island nation to disappear beneath the oceans.