Date Posted: 2010-06-07
MALDIVES ALREADY SWAMPED
President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives said there was now visible evidence of the devastating effect that changes in sea levels are having on the islands.
The islands are unlikely to last out the next century or two as they are on average just 1.5 metres above sea level.
People living on 16 islands of the Maldives archipelago are already being relocated but Nasheed said moving the people of the Maldives somewhere else was not a solution.
"Even if we go, I always think where would the butterflies go? Where would the sounds go?".
Nasheed said countries committed to tackling climate change should press ahead with agreements and emissions reductions regardless of whether they took more recalcitrant nations with them.
"We cannot wait for the lowest common denominator where everyone agrees to doing almost nothing," he said.
