Picture the scene, the weather is perfect: clear blue skies, crystal-clear ocean water and, golden-white sand between your toes. You’re standing on any one of the number of the beaches of the one thousand-plus Coral Islands that make up the Maldives. This country, situated in almost the middle of the warm Indian Ocean, is a holiday paradise. The islands are surrounded by diverse reef ecosystems, home to thousands of species of fish as well as turtles, dolphins and whales.

The geography of this holiday destination is tropical, with many of its islands having groves of banana, papaya and citrus trees. Temperatures generally range from between 24°C and 33°C with a cool sea breeze keeping the humidity bearable. The nation is a popular tourist destination with tourism accounting for 28% of its GDP.

All this undoubtedly provides ample incentive to pay this island paradise a visit soon. However, there are also more ominous reasons to pay the Maldives a visit, before it is too late!

The highest land point of the Maldives is a bare 2.4m above sea level. This means that climate change has begun to affect the islands of the Maldives dramatically. In 2016, the surface water temperatures of the Maldives reached an all-time high of 31°C endangering the reefs and ocean life which are used to cooler temperatures.

A further threat to the islands is the danger of the sea-level rising. Significant increase in the sea-level of the Maldives could leave the islands, which are low-lying, underwater and abandoned. Researchers at the University of Southampton have identified the Maldives as being the third-most endangered nation with regards to flooding as a result of climate change.

The government of the Maldives has taken this threat so seriously that it has begun diverting some of its country’s tourist revenue towards a fund for buying its population a new homeland! Given the seriousness of the threat posed to this island paradise the remaining opportunities to pay a visit to this small nation will only continue to decrease in the coming decades. For now, however, the islands remain very accessible and an excellent reason to take that vacation now rather than later!

And so: The Maldives is probably rated as thee most sought after holiday destination, among those who can afford it, of course. Before you ask too many questions, take a look at this infographic of the island (and country) and see just how important it is.

Now all the world needs to know now is what the hotels and Bnb’s look like. Enter a real estate and hotel photographer – baithe.co.za – that is just what we do. We may not be able to lower the level of water, but we can help the Maldives grow that “new homeland” fund! 🙂