26 February 2009: During a visit to Maldives, from 18-25 February 2009, Raquel Rolnik, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, underlined the importance of the international community’s role in supporting climate change adaptation strategies.

She listed the impacts that Maldives and its Atolls are already experiencing, such as coastal erosion, increased frequency of storms and flooding, and sea level rise. She stated that the enjoyment of the right to adequate housing is most immediately impacted by the phenomenon and noted that the post-Tsunami reconstruction process in Maldives offers lessons for the international community’s efforts in supporting adaptation strategies. [UNHCHR Press Release]