UN Expert highlights Maldives vulnerability

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

In her annual report to the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee of the General Assembly last Friday, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing Ms. Rachel Rolnik, spoke about the vulnerability of Maldives to the effects of climate change.

Her report was primarily based on the adverse effects of climate change patterns on the ability of States to accord affordable and adequate housing to its citizens in pursuance of the obligations arising from the right to housing.

“As a low-lying, small island State, Maldives is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and associated sea-level rise”, read the report.

The Rapporteur further highlighted that the impact of climate change would have on the acceleration of coastal erosion, frequency of storms and flooding and the rise of the sea level [to have] and how this would create a dramatic impact on the housing and livelihood of many Maldivians. She said that climate change had aggravated and would further amplify some of the problems linked with Maldives characteristics, including land scarcity and the vulnerability of the islands to natural phenomena.

Rachel Rolnik visited the Maldives last February as part of her research into the thematic report.

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