Focus Areas
Ocean. Environment. Community.
1.
Climate Change and Rising Temperatures
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Climate change severely threatens the existence of the Maldives and diminishes existing human capabilities on these islands. According to the World Bank, with "future sea levels projected to increase in the range of 10 to 100 centimeters by the year 2100, the entire country could be submerged." Due to climate change and rising temperatures, almost 80 percent of the Maldives could become uninhabitable by 2050, according to multiple reports from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
2.
Endangered Species Extinction
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Preventing the extinction of threatened species in the Maldives and Seychelles is a must to preserve the marine ecosystems. We all depend upon plants and wildlife. From studying them, we have learned new ways of growing food, making clothing, and building houses. Scientists have discovered how to use certain plants and animals in medicines. If we fail to protect threatened or endangered species, we will never know how they might have improved our lives.
3.
Water and Air Pollution
Eighty percent of ocean pollution originates on land, whether along the coast or far inland. Contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals are carried by streams into the ocean, causing the death of coral reefs and indigenous marine wildlife animals. Our oceans are also sometimes spoiled by oil spills and leaks and are consistently soaking up carbon pollution from the air, which is also polluted by human endeavors.
4.
Plastic Overload and Solid Waste Disposal
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The Maldives has recently recorded the highest levels of marine plastic pollution in the world. Without a significant increase in waste reduction and rapid improvements in waste management, small island communities will continue to generate high levels of microplastic pollution in marine environments, with the potential to negatively impact the health of the ecosystem, marine organisms, and local island communities. We believe that without proper waste management, island nations such as the Maldives and the Seychelles could be drastically changed and harmed.
5.
Ghost Nets and Overfishing
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Ghost gear is a global issue. Large-scale commercial fishing in international waters produces the vast majority of derelict gear. Consequently, the issue requires engaging on a local, national, and international scale in order to create change. Each year, ghost nets are responsible for trapping and killing a significant number of marine animals, such as sharks, rays, bony fish, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, crustaceans, and sea birds, and joint efforts and initiatives are needed to deal with this issue.
6.
Freshwater Availability
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Less than 1 percent of the earth’s freshwater is actually accessible to us. Without action, the challenges will only increase by 2050, when global demand for freshwater is expected to be one-third greater than it is now.
7.
Coral Reef Destruction
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The degradation and potential mass death of the ocean’s corals is caused by illegal fishing techniques, pollution, careless tourism, other natural phenomena such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and, of course, climate change, the culprit responsible for our warmer oceans and one of the main reasons for the death of corals. Water pollution is perhaps the most obvious cause of coral reef destruction. Reefs are harmed when oil, fertilizers, and human or animal waste are dumped in the area. These elements can end up changing the chemical makeup of the water, and the waste can also block life-giving sunlight to the reef.