Including the Maldives... Countries that may disappear by 2100 due to rising sea levels

Arab Weather - Climate research has revealed that climate change is accelerating, especially in some tropical regions, which could lead to countries such as the Maldives and Tuvalu being submerged. If emissions continue as expected, ocean levels could rise by about an additional meter around the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans by the end of this century.

Threatened States and Climate Refugees

A study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows that five countries – the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati – could become uninhabitable by 2100. This could displace around 600,000 climate refugees.

• Environmental impacts and increasing risks

The study suggests that rising sea levels will be accompanied by more frequent storms and high waves, which will contaminate freshwater and soil with salt. This pollution will make many small coral islands uninhabitable before they are completely submerged.

• Legal Challenges for Flooded Countries

Climate change raises unprecedented questions about the fate of countries whose lands will disappear due to rising sea levels. According to the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state must have a defined territory, a permanent population, and a government capable of interacting with other states. When land is submerged and the remaining population is unable to inhabit it, a state may not meet one of these criteria.

• Adapting to changes

Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has said humans are resourceful and creative and will find floating ways to survive in the place of their submerged land. Meanwhile, Pacific Islands Forum member states, including Australia and New Zealand, have made it clear that their maritime zones will remain intact regardless of the physical changes associated with rising sea levels, AFP reported.

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