Contrary to some predictions by environmentalists and media reports, the Maldives have not been submerged due to global warming. In fact, the archipelago continues to improve and is committed to upgrading its infrastructure.
For more than three decades, the media has warned that the paradisiacal country is at risk of sinking due to rising sea levels. Some reports even dared to set deadlines and call the Maldives the "first country [to become a] victim of climate change." But the predictions have proved not to be correct.
Environmentalists and even the government of the archipelago continue to insist on mentioning the threat to which the country is exposed at climate summits and even create tourism campaigns based on the transmission of the fear that the archipelago will disappear. "Come to the Maldives while they're still there," advises an unspoken slogan for the island's tourism, according to a marine biologist who works at one of the luxury resorts.
However, the country's growth and investments do not seem to go hand in hand with the risk to which it is exposed. "If the islands of the archipelago are being swallowed by the sea, why doesn't the government buy land elsewhere to settle its population, instead of spending tens of millions of dollars to build expensive infrastructure that is doomed to disappear? Perhaps because there is no real danger?" questioned Pedro Fernández Barbadillo in his article for La Gaceta.
Las islas Maldivas, a las que el cambio climático iba a «dejar bajo el Índico» en 2018, señaladas como el «primer Estado víctima del cambio climático», inauguran su nuevo aeropuerto al nivel del mar
Por Pedro Fernández Barbadillo (@pfbarbadillo)https://t.co/ENMT8JxXFe
— La Gaceta de la Iberosfera (@gaceta_es) June 7, 2023
New projects
Just a few months ago, the archipelago inaugurated a new runway and seaplane terminal at Velana International Airport (VIA). The runway was built with a $373 million bank loan from China and follows the "Code F" standard to accommodate the world's largest aircraft.
Earlier this year, the Maldives government also announced that it is working to develop new airports on six islands and is still looking to construct new buildings and futuristic projects that could address the sinking problem.
NASA study
According to a NASA study on sea level rise, global ocean levels are rising by only 3.3 millimeters per year, meaning it will take about three centuries for the water to rise by one meter.
Climate change: an imposed doctrine
As in the Maldives, global warming is an issue that has gained interest around the world. However, at least in the United States, most citizens agree that there is an undercurrent of control and domination when talking about the environmental crisis. According to a recent survey, 60% of Americans believe climate change is a concept imposed by those in power.
The survey was conducted after Vivek Ramaswamy, a candidate for the 2024 Republican primary, made his views on the issue public. "We've shot our own fossil fuel industry in the foot, and it is because of this climate religion, but the dirty little secret that not a lot of people know is the climate religion actually has nothing to do with the climate. It is all about power, control, dominion and apologizing for America's own success," he said.
