It would be an understatement to say that Mohamed "Anni" Nasheed, newly-elected President of the Maldives, is concerned about global warming. He announced today that he plans to establish a fund to raise money that could be used to purchase a new homeland for Maldives residents if climate change and an accompanying sea level rise make the Maldives uninhabitable. The Maldives are a collection of over one thousand small islands in the Indian Ocean between Africa and India. The great majority of land mass in the island chain is less than 10 feet above sea level. 

Looking at current climate trends, it would seem Nasheed's fears are justified. He was quick to say that of course, Maldive residents do not wish to leave their homes. However, a small rise in sea level would consume a large percentage of land area in the Maldives. As Nasheed said, "We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades."

The Maldives has a successful tourism industry, with almost 500,000 tourists a year visiting the island for its beautiful beaches and unspoiled landscapes. Nasheed plans to funnel some of this tourism revenue into the country's emergency fund. He also stated that he has spoken with the governments of Sri Lanka and India, as well as Australia, about the possibilities of purchasing a large tract of land, and said that the foreign governments were "receptive."

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