Maldives has underwater Cabinet meeting

MALE, Maldives, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and his Cabinet met 20 feet under the sea surface Saturday to dramatize the country's vulnerability to climate change.

The officials wore wet suits and used scuba gear to breathe, ABC News reported. They discussed business with waterproof papers fastened to a table and used sign language for the half-hour meeting.

"We have been working against the odds for a very long time. We've gotten used to thinking outside the box," Nasheed told the U.S. network.

The Maldives is a group of almost 1,200 coral islets with a total land area of 135 square miles, only 200 of them inhabited. With the land at an average height of no more than 4 feet, U.N. experts say even a 7-inch rise in sea level could turn the population of 400,000 into climate refugees.

The country has been experimenting with building up some islands with sand. Nasheed has also considered buying land elsewhere and simply moving the entire population.