Nov 21, 2008

Malé 100,000 people, world's densest city.


With an area of just over 1.77 square Km, Malé has become the densest city in the world ! A quarter of all families in Malé live in one room, a damning report by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) on Thursday revealed. And up to 68 percent of families in the capital are living in accommodation that fails to meet "adequate housing" criteria due to overcrowding, "easily qualifying these apartments as slums by the United Nations definitions," the report finds.

According to the study, Male's population density has increased by 40 percent between 2000 and 2006.According to the study, Male's population density has increased by 40 percent between 2000 and 2006. With almost a quarter of families sharing one room, "families or groups of families have been forced to cook, eat, sleep and defecate all in the same room."Focus groups had said the average number of persons sharing a room have reached five to six persons per room.

Average rent prices per month of a one bed room apartment has risen from Rf 3000 in 2005 to Rf 6000 per month in 2007, while two bedroom apartments rents have increased from Rf 5000 in 2005 to Rf 9000 in 2007.

www.minivannews.com/news_detail.php?id=5530

Blue Lines : a surf film entirely shot in Maldives

A surf film entirely shot in the Maldives featuring the best surfers in Portugal.

- David Luis
- Joao Guedes
- Edgar Nozes
- Ruben Gonzalez
- Paulo Almeida
- Miguel Ximenez
- Francisco Rodriguez
- Tiago Oliveira
- Joana Rocha
- Joana Andrade


Releasing in January 2009
infos : ontheedgeproducoes@gmail.com

www.bluelines.com.pt

Nov 18, 2008

Sea level rise : escape plan



The new President of the Maldives says he will begin buying land in other nations as “an insurance policy” in case his nation needs to be evacuated due to rising sea levels from climate change.

Nasheed declared their plans to British newspapers saying a national fund would be established with royalties from the country’s tourist industry to fund land purchases. Sri Lanka and India were obvious targets given their proximity, and the cultural similarities of their people to the 300,000 Maldivians. He also named Australia as a possible destination.



“We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It's an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome,” Nasheed told the Guardian, comparing the concept to Israelis buying land in Palestine. There is much contention among scientists over how much sea levels can be expected to rise this century. The IPCC landmark 2007 report published conservative estimates of a rise of 25 to 58cm by 2100.

In 2005, authorities announced plans to move the 1000-strong population of the Carteret Atolls, in Papua New Guinea, to Bougainville in what were said to be the first climate change evacuations. Their current homes are predicted to become completely submerged by 2015.

www.carbonpositive.net

Nov 13, 2008

Sri Lankan Pro 2009 : 8-14 June

The 4th edition of Dhonveli Pro will happen again in Maldives at Pasta Point mid-June. That will be a World Qualifying Series 6star prime, one of the 11 biggest WQS events of the year. Write down this date in your agendas !

Nov 4, 2008

Ismael Miglav aka “Issey”








26 years old
First surf experience : 16 years ago
Quiver : 4 surfboards from 5’5” to 6’0
Fav move : Air 180° frontside
Fav surfer : Taj Burrow
Fav’ food : Roshi mashuni (grated fish, coconut and onion), orange juice
Best result : 2003 Maldives champion



It seemed to me that every time I’d go surf the break in Malé, Issey would be there busting some real airs on the rights. Being quite a low profile guy like most of his peers, I did not interact much with him apart from a few smiles in the water. I just knew he was considered as the 2nd best surfer after Iboo.

Then, on one of my trips in the Central atolls, I suddenly saw Issey cruising out of the blue on a small fishing boat. He had injured his knee on an air in Malé and had decided to go home in his native village, he had never been back for 20 years ! For years, he’s been working at the Quiksilver shop in Malé, with a small sponsoring deal and taking advantage of his 25 days vacation a year to go elsewhere. Like he travelled to Australia to compete in a Pro Junior at Narrabeen in 2000. He only stayed there 5 days as travelling there was a huge gap in his budget. He went to Sri Lanka to do a contest in Hikkaduwa and also in Phuket, Thailand for a Quiksilver event.


He started surfing in Malé really young at 8years old, riding local bellyboard first, then bodyboard before Tony Hussein gave him his first surfboard. When he was 10, he got knocked out really bad in the head, consequently leaving a deep fin cut. He had a narrow escape and since then, he admits not being super comfortable in big surf. “Malé can be really powerful and shallow on the lefts, I’ve seen some near-death experiences there”.



It took him 12hours by dhoni to go from Malé to his original village and now he finds out that a really wave breaks next to it “ I’ll come back more often” and teach some village kid to improve their surfing skills, still low because noone was there to show the tricks. Now, they have a master to follow. You might meet Issey as a surfguide on Voyages Maldives boat trips.