The Maldives are vulnerable to sea level rise because they are not vulnerable to storms. Although that statement may sound like a paradox, it is roughly analogous to our discussion of wetlands, in which we noted that areas with low tidal ranges are more vulnerable than areas with large astronomic and storm tides. Because storm surges are rarely over 30 cm, it has been safe to develop land that is only about 40 cm above high tide, and most of the population lives on land within two meters of sea level; virtually the entire nation is within four meters of sea level.