IHURU, Maldives -- A sudden change in the weather sends staff at the resort on Ihuru Island grappling for the groins. Jetty-like piles of sand-bags that jut out from various parts of the island, these "groins" help lessen the effect of destructive tides. For the time being at least, they are Ihuru's lifeline.
Like many of the 1,200 islands that make up the Maldives, Ihuru can lose several meters off its shoreline in one blustery day -- life-threatening for an island not much bigger than a soccer field.
Azeez Hakeem, an official at Ihuru's resort and a self-taught marine biologist, patrols the island twice a day to check sand movement, which is compensated for by a system of pipes allowing sand to be pumped to an affected area. "It's a constant fight against nature to protect nature," he said.