COLOMBO - Unless the world starts taking climate change seriously and cuts greenhouse emissions, the Maldives could become uninhabitable this century, the president of the Indian Ocean archipelago says.
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been telling the world for 20 years that his cluster of 1,200 islands dotted across 500 miles (800 km) of sea off southern India is imperilled by climate change.
With a United Nations climate panel forecasting world sea levels likely to rise by up to 59 cm (2 ft) by 2100 due to global warming, the clock is ticking.
"Time is running out for us," Gayoom told Reuters in an interview. "Global warming and sea-level rise pose a clear and present danger for the Maldives and its people."
"Three-quarters of our 1,200 islands lie no higher than four feet above mean sea-level. The projected rise in sea-levels by the end of this century could mean that our islands may become uninhabitable at that time."
He says the international community can help prevent his nation sinking into a watery grave if it shakes off inaction and self-interest and builds the political will to tackle climate change.
"The 1997-1998 El Nino led to the bleaching of our surface corals. The unprecedented tidal surges that were experienced simultaneously on nearly 80 islands earlier this year were a stark reminder that weather patterns were becoming both unpredictable and unsavoury," he said.
ECONOMY IN PERIL
"All these effects compound our concern as our narrow-based economy is dependent on fisheries and tourism. Both sectors face a real danger of collapse if current trends continue during the coming decades."
Tourism is the lynchpin of the Maldives' $700 million economy.
