Is Maldives safe from tsunami?

Maldives atolls form a natural protection against tsunamis. Their slopes constitute very long submarine walls, which upon the arrival of a tsunami, dramatically reduces the force of the ocean wave.



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On 26 December 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck the coast of Thailand. Surachat Lemlae was selling fish from his boat when the tsunami wave hit, leaving him fighting for his life. “My boat capsized, throwing me against the wall, under water “. Read Surachat's story on surviving the tsunami.

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Risk of a Tsunami in Bora Bora
Despite being situated close to a tectonic plate border, Bora Bora is not thought to be particularly vulnerable to tsunamis. There haven't been any recent tsunamis in the region, despite the island's distance from the Pacific's main earthquake zones.

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The Maldives archipelago's proximity to the equator means that it's protected from hurricanes and enjoys stable temperatures all year round. However, given that it spans around 500 miles, the weather may not be the same for each area of the archipelago.

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The low-lying island nation, one of the world's most vulnerable to climate change, has commissioned a major shore protection and land reclamation scheme using sand dredged from a lagoon, despite concerns about the impact on this Unesco biosphere reserve.

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Researchers show that using simple engineering principals to raise islands or build new ones can help small island nations like the Maldives withstand long-term sea level rise due to climate change.

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