In 2004, the BBC Warned the Maldives were “Soon to be Uninhabitable,” Claiming Sea Levels were Rising 0.9 cm per Year and that 80% of the Islands could Vanish within a Century
By Electroverse
In 2004, the BBC warned the Maldives were “soon to be uninhabitable,” claiming sea levels were rising 0.9 cm per year and that 80% of the islands could vanish within a century.
More than two decades later though, reality says otherwise.
The Maldives haven’t sunk, they’ve exploded with growth: 12 new airports, expanded international terminals, record tourism of over 2 million visitors a year, and more than 170 resorts, with 7 added in 2024.
Instead of disappearing under the waves, this so-called “paradise in peril” has shown no statistically significant sea level rise since the 1980s, according to satellite data.
Here we have another ‘climate catastrophe’ headline completely undone by time.
In 2004, the BBC warned the Maldives were “soon to be uninhabitable,” claiming sea levels were rising 0.9 cm per year and that 80% of the islands could vanish within a century.
More than two decades later though, reality says otherwise.
The Maldives haven’t sunk, they’ve… pic.twitter.com/im8GNHlx4l
— Electroverse (@Electroversenet) April 9, 2026
