UNDP Maldives Takes a ‘Fight and Flight’ Response to Climate Change – Drones to the Rescue

Formed by a chain of approximately 1,200 islands, the Maldives is the lowest lying country in the world with 80% of the islands located about one metre above sea level. Scientists have predicted that the continuously rising water level will submerge a vast number of islands by the year 2050. As a solution, the innovative idea of creating risk maps has been introduced inclusive of images of the same area over a particular time, together with the images before and after a disaster; this will help develop procedures to protect those on an island be it a residential settlement or a Maldives resort. The use of drones is seen as a novel way to help create such maps. Executing these measures can be of significant importance even to tourism with properties like Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort attracting visitors from all over the world. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has decided to collaborate with a leading drone company in China to acquire three-dimensional maps of the islands since obtaining such images can require a significant amount of resources.