The Maldives faces existential threat from a climate crisis it did little to create. We need the world’s help now

‘Malé, our capital city, is roughly twice the size of New York’s Central Park and is one of the most densely populated capitals in the world.’ Photograph: Boarding1Now/Getty Images/iStockphoto

For the Maldives, the existential threat of the climate crisis, particularly sea level rise, has been a reality we have grappled with for decades. In 1989, recognising the urgency of our situation, with our islands standing just one metre above sea level, we brought this issue to the global stage for the first time.

This early recognition of our vulnerability sparked a national transformation as we embarked on proactive climate resilience and adaptation measures. Thirty-five years later, has the rest of the world truly been listening? If you look at how the world’s reaction to the climate crisis is funded, the answer is clearly “no”.