Climate Change - the Science
Human activities are increasing the atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases, thus altering the radioactive balances and warming the atmosphere. The
increased greenhouse gas concentration is projected to lead to changes in temperature,
precipitation and other climate variables, resulting in global changes in soil moisture,
an increase in global mean sea level, and prospects for more severe extreme
high-temperature events, floods and droughts in some places.
Find out about the science of
climate change
The Science of Climate Change
- Link to IPCC
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Impacts of Climate Change and Sea
Level Rise
The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change projects an increase in global mean surface temperature of about 1
to 3.5 degrees Celsius by 2100. Such a warming has not been experienced at any time during
the past 10,000 years and with the warming is an associated increase in sea level. The
IPCC best estimate of sea level rise is 50 cm over the next century and it could be as
high as 1 metre or as low as 15 centimetres. The scientists also believe that once the
process is set into motion, it cannot be slowed down in anything less than a few millennia.
Averting Catastrophe - His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
The impacts
of climate change - link to IPCC
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Maldives and Climate Change
In Maldives, over 80% of
the land is less than 1 meter above mean sea level. So climate change and associated sea
level rise represents a catastrophe in the making for Maldives with potentially
devastating consequences for life in the Maldives. Precautionary measures are essential to
save the Maldives and many other low lying island states who face similar threats.
Reference to Reports on
Sea Level Rise and Implications
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Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise
To discuss the issues of
sea level rise among the small states of the world who are the most vulnerable to climate
change, Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise was held in Malé, in November 1989. The
outcome of the conference was the "Malé Declaration on Global Warming and Sea Level
Rise."
The Malé Declaration
paved the way for the establishment of an Action Group among small island states, to
co-ordinate a joint approach on the issues of climate change, global warming and sea level
rise, and to pursue and follow up on global and regional response strategies.
The first meeting of the
Action Group established by the Small States after the Conference in November 1989 was
held in Maldives in September 1990. This Action Group later transformed into the AOSIS at
the Second World Climate Conference.
The Malé Declaration
also urged for early negotiations for a Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UN
Convention on Climate Change was adopted in 1992 and the small island states jointly
played a very important role in the sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating
Committee set up to formulate the Convention.
Among the main
achievements of the Malé Declaration, the increased awareness it created among the
international community on the special vulnerability of small island states is noteworthy.
That was the first time the small island states started speaking together to draw the
attention of the global community to this important issue and it had a very good effect.
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Maldives was
instrumental in the formation of the Small Island Action Group that eventually at the
Second World Climate Conference in Geneva, in 1990, became the Alliance of Small Island
States. The Alliance of the Small Island States commonly known as AOSIS is a group of
developing countries that share common objectives on environment and sustainable
development. The group comprises of small island and low-lying coastal developing
countries which are members of island regional grouping or organizations. The members of
AOSIS are particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of climate change such as
sea level rise, coral bleaching and the increased frequency and intensity of tropical
storms.
AOSIS was the first to express the view
that the commitments of the Annex I parties of the Climate Convention were inadequate in
the light of the Conventions objective and the best available scientific knowledge.
Consequently, AOSIS submitted a Draft Protocol
on Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction to the Interim Secretariat of the Convention, in
time for consideration and possible adoption at the first Conference of the Parties.
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
Maldives is a party to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Maldives signed the Climate
Convention on 12 June 1992 and ratified the Convention on 28 October 1992.
Text of
the Convention
Find out about the UNFCCC process
Meetings
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Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol is the
historic agreement reached in Kyoto in December 1997 to deal with a potential global
catastrophe. It is a significant step forward from the commitments set out in the United
Nations Framework Convention on climate Change and lays a solid foundation for greenhouse
gas emission reduction in the future.
There are some very
important elements in this Protocol. Under the Protocol agreed to, 38 nations will be
cutting greenhouse gas emissions to slightly more than 5 percent below the emission levels
of 1990.
Maldives is the first
country to sign the Kyoto Protocol and is among the first countries to ratify the Protocol
Text
of Kyoto Protocol
Link to UNFCCC
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