Experts Refute Claims Downplaying Global Warming Threat to Maldives

Summary:
Recent social media posts claiming that the stability of the Maldives’ island sizes disproves the threat of global warming are misleading. While research shows that many islands in the Maldives have remained stable or grown, experts emphasize that the country is still at significant risk from rising sea levels caused by human-induced climate change. This includes severe coastal erosion and frequent flooding. Historical predictions from 1988 about the Maldives being wiped out by rising seas did not come true, but this does not negate the ongoing risks. Experts assert that sea level rise has been documented since 1987 and is accelerating, posing a severe threat to the Maldives, which is largely less than a meter above sea level. The government is implementing contingency and resilience plans, including constructing artificial islands. However, these efforts do not fully offset the impacts of climate change, which continue to threaten the nation’s habitability.