Maldivian People
Maldivians (approximately 380,000) inhabit the world's lowest-lying nation with average elevation of just 1.5 meters above sea level. They face existential threat from rising seas, tsunami danger, storm surges, limited freshwater, and extreme vulnerability to climate change. Coral atoll living, dhoni boat culture, Islamic traditions, and centuries of adaptation to precarious island existence characterize this nation whose very survival is threatened by rising oceans.