The Maldives is one of the countries most seriously threatened by the effects of climate change. With alarming predictions of global sea level rise and most of its islands only one meter high, the Maldives could be in deep trouble very soon. Government scientists fear the sea level is rising up to 0.9 cm a year. Furthermore the country's spectacular underwater world could also soon be under threat. Reef building corals are extremely sensitive to rise in sea water temperatures. The Maldives was the first country to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol, which sets targets for cuts in industrialized countries' greenhouse gas emissions.