Maldives cabinet meets underwater to stress threat from rising sea levels

Thursday, 08 October 2009 09:04

Eager for the world to know how seriously his government takes the threat of climate change and rising sea levels to the survival of his country, the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, will be organizing an underwater cabinet meeting, writes The Independent.

With wet-suits, hand signals and whiteboards - six metres beneath the surface - the ministers will ratify a treaty calling on other countries to cut greenhouse emissions.

According to AFP, Mr Nasheed will chair the underwater meeting ahead of the world climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. The ministers will use hand signals and whiteboards to communicate. "They will then ratify a pledge calling on other nations to slash greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the Copenhagen meeting”, a government spokesman said.

The Maldives is not only known for its stunning beauty with white sand beaches and clear blue sea, it is also the lowest highest point in the world, directly threatened by the climate changes. The island is made up of 1,200 atolls, 80 percent of which are no more than a metre above sea level. In 2007, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that a rise in sea levels of between 18 and 59 centimetres by 2100 would be enough to make the Maldives virtually uninhabitable.

The underwater meeting is scheduled for 17 October, giving the cabinet members one more week to practice their underwater skills.

Source: The Independent