Data centered around atoll nations like the Maldives appear to show that many islands are either stabilized or have grown, despite claims that they would disappear within the century due to rising sea levels, the New York Times reported.
Several media outlets, including ABC News, CNBC, and National Geographic, have published articles in recent years featuring claims that the Maldives – a small island nation located in the Indian Ocean – will mostly disappear due to sea level rise by 2100. However, scientists are using photo comparisons, as well as ocean currents, to predict how the islands will evolve, the NYT reported.
While currents can erode the shore, they can also bring fresh sand from coral reefs ashore, thus maintaining or even expanding islands, according to the NYT. A 2018 study published in Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews compiled data from 709 islands and found that “no atoll lost land area and that 88.6% of islands were either stable or increased in area, while only 11.4% contracted.”
A story on climate change in four parts… pic.twitter.com/F76ejeNcDs
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 27, 2024
“’I’m confident that there’ll be islands in the Maldives’ 50 or 100 years from now,” Paul Kench, a climate researcher on the Maldivian island of Dhigulaabadhoo, told the NYT. “They’re not going to look like these islands; they’re going to be different. But there will be land here.”
Experts claimed that nearly 80% of the Maldives could be uninhabitable by 2050, ABC News reported in 2021, citing reports from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
“If we have access to the technology and finance, I think we can save the Maldives. It is not all doomsday,” Shauna Aminath, former Maldivian environmental minister, told the NYT.
The New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline, and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Biden admin cuts failing EV company a fat check on its way out the door - January 17, 2025
- ‘Pure Socialist wish fulfillment’: Biden attempts to Trump-proof AOC’s favorite jobs program - January 16, 2025
- ‘Very scary’: How leftist regulations could kneecap California’s rebuilding process following massive infernos - January 16, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
