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MALDIVES
Maldives Forest Figures
Forest CoverTotal forest area: 1,000 ha % of land area: 3%
Primary forest cover: n/a % of land area: n/a % total forest area: n/a
Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005Annual change in forest cover: n/a Annual deforestation rate: n/a Change in defor. rate since '90s: n/a Total forest loss since 1990: n/a Total forest loss since 1990:0.0%
Primary or "Old-growth" forests Annual loss of primary forests: n/a Annual deforestation rate: n/a Change in deforestation rate since '90s: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990:n/a
Forest ClassificationPublic: n/a Private: n/a Other: n/a Use Production: n/a Protection: n/a Conservation: n/a Social services: n/a Multiple purpose: n/a None or unknown: n/a
Forest Area BreakdownTotal area: 1,000 ha Primary: n/a Modified natural: n/a Semi-natural: n/a Production plantation: n/a Production plantation: n/a
PlantationsPlantations, 2005: n/a % of total forest cover: n/a Annual change rate (00-05): n/a
Carbon storageAbove-ground biomass: n/a M t Below-ground biomass: n/a M t
Area annually affected byFire: n/a Insects: n/a Diseases: n/a
Number of tree species in IUCN red listNumber of native tree species: n/a Critically endangered: n/a Endangered: n/a Vulnerable: n/a
The Maldives, a chain of 1,191 coral islands west of Sri Lanka, has little forest cover—less than 2,500 acres (1,000 ha). The Maldives face exceptional environmental problems in the near future due not to local deforestation, but to the actions of developed countries: the Maldives will be flooded because of global warming. No island rises more than 6 feet (1.8 m) and 80 percent of the land area is under 3 feet (1 m). In 1987, the Maldives got a preview of what is to come: one-third of the nation was flooded. In an effort to stave off flooding as long as possible, the Maldives have banned the collection of coral and the use of anchors on the coral reefs that protect the islands. Around the most populated island of Male, the degradation of natural reef forced the government to install artificial breakwaters made of concrete tetrapods at a cost of US$10 million per kilometer, an expense the Maldives can ill afford.
