Desperate times call for desperate measures as Members of the Maldives' Cabinet donned scuba gear and used hand signals Saturday at an underwater meeting staged to highlight the threat of global warming to the lowest-lying nation on earth.
President Mohammed Nasheed and 13 other government officials submerged and took their seats at a table on the sea floor - 20 feet (6 meters) below the surface of a lagoon off Girifushi, an island usually used for military training.
With a backdrop of coral, the meeting was a bid to draw attention to fears that rising sea levels caused by the melting of polar ice caps could swamp this Indian Ocean archipelago within a century. Its islands average 7 feet (2.1 meters) above sea level.
Continue reading..The Star
wow, this is indeed a very creative bid, and i think the effect of getting attention is strong..
ReplyDeleteThat underwater meeting's indeed a creative bid!
ReplyDeletewow.. they really dive down under to sign the pieces of paper! lol =P
ReplyDeletekenwooi.com
Wow! seriously!? I haven't heard of this from the news here just yet.
ReplyDeletewhat type of papers did they use?
ReplyDeleteam confused!
by the way , I live in Kl too , its almost two years and I am glad for visiting your blog
I have read about it too. Some people are really crazy huh! :p
ReplyDeleteIt was so funny and those high rank people need to learn diving prior to this function. The sea is so clear and blue. At least they got the world attention.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a good way to get attention! Yes, save Maldives!!
ReplyDeleteSK, they will get the attention, alright but at the same time, there are too many other issues vying for attention.
ReplyDeleteMei Teng, it is creative, isn't it?
Ken, radical move, eh?
Ai Shiang, the world must have got wind of it because New York Times reported it too.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter Pan, thanks for stopping by. Not sure about the material used but it has to be waterproof or some other suitable for the water and able to be inked as well.
Tekkaus, I wouldn't say it's crazy. It's more a desperate bid for help for survival.
Superman, they picked up a new skill in the process, eh? Now they can all go diving together on their off-days.
ReplyDeleteFoong, something as beautiful as Maldives is definitely worth saving. Will that be one of the holiday destinations on your list?
I read the Maldives government (or it Mauritius?) is saving up tourist dollars to buy more sand to keep their existence.
ReplyDeleteWill love to go there someday. If only there are budget airlines available from Asia.
That could be true and The Star article reported that Maldives President, Mohammed Nasheed, had already announced plans for a fund to buy a new homeland for his people if the 1,192 low-lying coral islands are submerged. He has promised to make the Maldives, with a population of 350,000, the world's first carbon-neutral nation within a decade.
ReplyDeleteShingo, I think joining an organized tour would be less of a hassle as all the essentials would be covered.
Did you guys know that Maldives was totally washed out during the last Tsunami?
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It's a very creative approach in rising people's awareness.
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