Why Are Maldives Sinking? Is It Possible to Save Tourists' Favorite Islands?

Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean in South Asia. The country does not have any border neighbors. The Maldives' closest neighbors are India, 600 km to the north, and Sri Lanka, 645 km to the northeast.[1]

Location of Maldives on the map.
Location of Maldives on the map.
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Maldives has 523,787 as of 2022.[2] The country consists of 26 atolls and 1,190 commercial facilities. Together with all these islands, the Maldives is the smallest country in Asia in terms of surface area.[3] "Malé atoll", where the center of the country is located, is the capital of the country and its most populous city with a population of 252,768.[4]

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Malé is the capital of the Maldives.
Malé is the capital of the Maldives.
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The official language of the country is Divehi and the religion is Islam.[5], [6] Tourism is the country's largest sector and accounts for 28% of the annual GDP.[7] More than 1 million tourists visit the country every year.[8]

Why Are Maldives Sinking?
There has been a danger of sinking in the Maldives due to rising sea levels in the last few years. Being an island country, the low altitude and very high population density of the Maldives leave the country unprotected against any land loss. The government is considering different plans and options against rising sea levels.