The Maldives has always been a place that I've intended on diving someday, but that someday may be too late.
The 60mins. report last night showed that it's in great danger of disappearing altogether...and they want to come here if it does!
Being that it's only a metre or so above sea level, the Maldives is a good barometer to the effects of global warming.


Sinking Maldives saves up to call Australia home
LONDON

11/11/2008 12:00:00 AM



The Maldives is starting to hoard cash in case it has to buy a new homeland because of climate change and Australia is on the shopping list.
Beloved by tourists for their white sandy beaches, palm trees and clear waters, the 1192 coral islands that make up the Indian Ocean country risk devastation by rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Mohamed ''Anni'' Nasheed, who won the Maldives' first democratic presidential election last month, said his Government would put aside part of its billion-dollar annual tourism income in case the worst happened.

''We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It's an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome.

''We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades.''

Mr Nasheed said he had already broached the subject with several countries and found them receptive. India and Sri Lanka were targets because they had similar cultures and climates, while vast Australia was also an option.

He said he intended to create a ''sovereign wealth fund'' from the money generated by tourism, much as Arab states had done with oil revenues.

''Kuwait might invest in companies: we will invest in land.''

Outgoing president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Asia's longest-serving leader, launched a book in April to highlight the threat to the Maldives posed by global warming.

He said citizens needed moving to safer islands. AFP

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/sinking-maldives-saves-up-to-call-australia-home/1357379.aspx

lol

yes it  was on 60 minutes last night they claim the water level has gone up a metre in 6 years.  wow not even the IPCC  claim that...  perhaps something apart from the dreaded global warming is at work.

I saw a little of that on 60 minutes last night. Australia would be the logical place for them to come and I vaguely remember our politicians talking about it a couple of years ago.

We've got the room, although we haven't got the resources and I think Australia is ultimately destined to become the country for the world's overflow of refugees.

The World Order long ago decided Australia should have a population of 50 million.

The Maldivian people would be living in fear, but they are predominantly Muslim and don't allow non-Muslims to become citizens. This might present a problem for them and for us.

Quote:

yes it  was on 60 minutes last night they claim the water level has gone up a metre in 6 years.

Whatever the case, it does seem that they've lost a lot of land recently and they want to set up shop here.


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The Maldivian people would be living in fear, but they are predominantly Muslim and don't allow non-Muslims to become citizens. This might present a problem for them and for us.

It's a bit of double standard expecting to be welcomed citizens here.

I'd agree to selling them some land, but they'd have to ship it back to the Maldives themselves.
The area there is not so large that it wouldn't be possible to top up the islands.

amadd - my thoughts exactly.

If they don't accept non-,uslims to become citizemns of their sinking land, I see no reason why they should be allowed to come here.

I have to agree with Amadd and Sprintcyclist here.

If the Maldives refuses to grant citizenship to Non-Muslims, then I don't that "refugees" from the Maldives will assimilate into Australian culture at all.

If they need a new homeland then they should shop for one elsewhere in the Islamic world.

Regardless of whom, or what, this supposedly all wise and all knowing World Order is, Australia remains second only to Antarctica as the most arid continent on earth.

It also has one of the worlds most fragile eco-systems.

I for one, see no reason whatsoever why our fancied "emptiness" should make us a global toxic waste dump for the nuclear wastes of other nations nor for it's excess human population either.

Of course if Australians are prepared to accept Bangladeshi standards of living, this continent could support 200 Million people with no probs.

warrigal - I'm pretty sure that is the case with saudi arabia also.
only muslims can be citizens.

it may be the case in other islamic countries, I am unsure

The Warrigal wrote on May 18^th, 2009 at 1:46pm:

Regardless of whom, or what, this supposedly all wise and all knowing World Order is, Australia remains second only to Antarctica as the most arid continent on earth. It also has one of the worlds most fragile eco-systems. I for one, see no reason whatsoever why our fancied "emptiness" should make us a global toxic waste dump for the nuclear wastes of other nations nor for it's excess human population either. Of course if Australians are prepared to accept Bangladeshi standards of living, this continent could support 200 Million people with no probs.

I absolutely agree Warrigal - we are already above the limits of a sustainable population.

Amadd, you'll still be able to dive there, you just won't be able to sleep on the beach.

I also respect their right to decide on who becomes a citizen or not in their own country. There are plenty of muslim communities that I'm sure hold such predjudice in very high regard and would welcome them gladly.

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Amadd, you'll still be able to dive there, you just won't be able to sleep on the beach.

Yeah, I'ld probably need to bring along the air matress.

It's funny how Islam seems to pop up on every topic. That 6 degrees of separation thing I suppose.

Amadd wrote on May 18^th, 2009 at 6:56pm:

Quote: Amadd, you'll still be able to dive there, you just won't be able to sleep on the beach. Yeah, I'ld probably need to bring along the air matress. It's funny how Islam seems to pop up on every topic. That 6 degrees of separation thing I suppose.

And I even wasn't here, which exposes some of the forum members as users of hallucinogens for sure  ;D

Anyway, "Waterworld" with water camels and some reciting from koran and sunas should make good epic in arabic countries.