Maldives saves to buy land for move

THE Maldives’ newly elected president said in an interview yesterday that his government would begin saving to buy a new homeland in case global warming caused the country to disappear into the sea.

Beloved by tourists for their white sandy beaches, palm trees and clear waters, the 1,192 coral islands that make up the Indian Ocean country risk devastation by rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed, who won the Maldives’ first democratic presidential election last month, said his government would start putting aside part of its billion-dollar annual tourism income in case the worst happens.

“We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It’s an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome,” he said.

“We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades.”

Mr Nasheed said he had already broached the subject with a number of countries and found them to be “receptive”.

India and Sri Lanka were targets because they had similar cultures and climates, while vast Australia was also an option.

He said he intended to create a “sovereign wealth fund” from the money generated by tourism, much like Arab states had with oil revenues.

“Kuwait might invest in companies — we will invest in land,” he said.