Despite the measures being taken, this year's sea surges in a number of Maldivian islands are just one illustration of how profoundly climate change is impacting low-lying countries like the Maldives.
Photo Credits: One Online
The difficulties this low-lying country encountered as a result of climate change are often overlooked when we think of, or even when we discuss the Maldives. Instead, many think of this country as a vacation spot they come to every once in a while, take some Instagram-able pictures and forget about it until next time. However, as time goes on and global climate challenges worsen, it is also becoming more difficult to avoid the effects of climate change in the Maldives.
The Maldives has two monsoon seasons: the southwest monsoon (wet season), which lasts from mid May to November, and the northeast monsoon, which lasts from January to March (dry-season). While it used to be easy to distinguish between the two seasons, as the effects of climate change grow, it is becoming more difficult to distinguish clearly between the wet and dry seasons in the Maldives.
However, given that torrential downpours are becoming more frequent in some areas of the Maldives, it seems as though the monsoon season is arriving just in time this year. Although this is typical during the rainy season, many are wondering if the Maldives is already experiencing the first symptoms of rising sea levels and other adverse effects of climate change.
First signs of the wet season : white & yellow alert
In the middle of April, the weather has been slowly changing, indicating the arrival of wet season as Maldives meteorology put out a white alert indicating heavy rain-fall and thunder to the Northern islands of the Maldives. However, this level 1 white alert soon started developing into level 2 yellow alerts and the rainfall began to get heavier and significant thunderstorms were reported in the central Maldives, later also affecting the Northern islands as well.
Into the start of May, the bad weather was also forecasted in Southern islands of Maldives, with the reports showing level 1 and level 2 alerts being put out in different locations of the Maldives as the weather kept fluctuating. The Maldives meteorological office is currently predicting heavy rain and thunderstorms with gusts of up to 50 mph in parts of Haa Alif to Baa atoll as we begin the month of July. As a result, the northern islands of the Maldives are still on white alert.
Several islands suffer damages caused by swells
While some of the islands in the Maldives have built seawalls to protect themselves from rising sea levels, as the consequences of climate change become more obvious, this strategy seems to be working less and less effectively. But despite the measures being taken, this year's sea surges in a number of Maldivian islands, caused by the monsoon season and rising sea levels, are just one illustration of how profoundly climate change is impacting low-lying countries like the Maldives.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority of Maldives, over 20 islands have already been affected by the sea swells as sea swells swept across 20 inhabited islands displacing 40 families. Four families who experienced serious damages owing to the sea swells have been placed in temporary shelter, with reports saying that islands in GDh. Atoll, Th. Atoll, and Addu City suffered the most damage.
Further, the sea swells also caused damage to 110 houses in G. Dh Rathafandhoo and 40 houses in Hoadehdhoo.
In addition to harming homes and businesses, the terrible weather and rough waves have also caused a wide range of damages on several neighboring islands. At the start of this month's swells and severe waves, two young people from A.Dh fenfushi were reported missing; one of the missing parties was later reported deceased.
It is past time that we started making the necessary changes, as monsoon seasons are starting to threaten nations like the Maldives as many people worry that the Maldivian may become refugees climate change.
