Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Livelihood of Maldives

The Coastal Areas of Maldives

The Maldives is constituted of a range of low lying islets, where any region of land mass make up a coastal area. The total exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Maldives is 959,100 sq km. Maldives has a degree of coastal ecosystems comprising seagrass beds, coral reefs, lagoons, beaches, and little regions of mangrove.

A greater percentage of Maldives population is straightly reliant on coastal resources for their livelihood. These resources comprise mangroves and other coastal vegetation, agriculture, ocean and reef fisheries.

With islands not rising over 3 meters above sea level, the Maldives faces the implacable potential of being entirely drowned by speedily rising seas in the future.

1. Coastal Agriculture

The salinity of groundwater because of the intrusion of sea water into the subsurface aquifer is a main environmental issue in the Maldives. Because of the excessive removal of groundwater, the water table of some islands has fallen overly far below, hence letting seawater to percolate.

The climate change will also impact the main constituents of agricultural productivity such as weather or water precipitation, temperature and sunlight.

2. Fishery

A greater number of fisher communities across the Maldives are heavily reliant on fishery for their livelihood and nutrition.

The negative impacts of climate change on Maldives fishery comprise coral bleaching, hence destroying fundamental habitats; and increasing intensity of storms coupled with augmented sea level rise, thereby, destroying fish habitats, accessibility to fishery and resources. 
 

3. Tourism

Tourists from different regions of the world are drawn to Maldives due to its clean beaches, underwater coral reefs, and dramatic marine wildlife. Annually, 500,000 tourists visits Maldives. The atolls of Maldives are surrounded by seventh largest coral reefs of the globe and are amongst the most affluent in terms of species diversity. These reefs comprise above 1,900 species of fish, 187 coral species and 350 crustaceans. The nature-based tourism make up 70 % of nation's GDP.

The increase in sea temperatures endanger the coral reefs and lead to bleaching and death. The most intense damage occurs in regions that are weakened by pollutants or destroyed by human activities.