Sea Level Rise Threatens Maldives
Sea level rise is a major threat to the Maldives given that it’s the flattest country in the world: about 80% of the land sits 3.3 feet (1 meter) above sea level. But the amount of waste on Thilafushi is so vast, the Financial Times reported in 2015, that the piles of trash reach up to nearly 50 feet (15 meters) high—making it the highest point in the country. Sea level rise could eliminate up to 77% of the land mass of the Maldives by the end of the century, meaning that Thilafushi could very well be one of the safest places in the country from sea level rise.
Correction 5/18/22 10:23 AM EST: This article previously stated that 80% of the Maldives sat 1 meter below, not above, sea level.
