The Maldives: On the Brink of Extinction

The Maldives, a small island nation that is not only threatened by pollution of water sources, over fishing, and over population, also has the threat of being devoured by the sea due to rising water levels. This tiny nation has to make some drastic changes in order to continue sustainable growth and living situations. The rest of the world also needs to take consideration of this and other island nations, and the effects of global warming on the sea levels that threaten to engulf this and other islands of the world. According to the Asian Development bank web site (2006), the Maldives has created its problem of water pollution through misuse and salinization from irrigation and other sources and the threat of limiting their aquatic biodiversity through over fishing. The world has created a far greater threat through global warming, putting the island nation of the Maldives on the brink of extinction. 

One island in the Maldivian chain, Malé, has recognized the fact that they have ruined their ground aquifers and the water is no longer fit for human consumption. Where does one look for water on an island nation that has ruined it ground aquifers? Malé has realized that the ocean is their only hope for clean drinking water. According to the Asian Development Bank web site (2006), they have started an initiative to solve this problem through building desalinization plants to process the ocean water for utilization for drinking and other uses. They are also distributing these clean waters to other Maldivian islands. The cost of water has risen, but the people of the islands are happy to pay extra for clean and safe drinking water. I think a push for the other Maldivian Islands to implement these desalinization plants would be very beneficial to the Maldivian people. Not only has this initiative made the Maldives safer for its people, it also generates extra revenue that can be used to expand this and other operations. The one hindrance of building these desalinization plants is the initial costs. These costs can be recouped though through the increase in revenue from water sales.