The Maldives Is Racing To Create New Land. Why Are So Many People Concerned?

The Maldives is one of the most popular luxury tourism destinations, with the government marketing it as “the sunny side of life” to a global audience. But it is also one of the countries most vulnerable to sea-level rise.

In an effort to keep the Maldives above water and thriving, the government is investing billions into land reclamation, which involves dredging sand from the ocean and piling it up to create new land. The justification is largely economic, but it’s also meant to help the country defend its coasts against rising seas.

In addition to the disputed economics, there is serious concern about the environmental damage that land reclamation can cause. Studies in the Maldives and at other sites around the world have shown that it can harm corals and seagrass, damage natural barriers, such as sand bars, mangroves and estuaries, and destroy marine habitats.

Jesse Chase-Lubitz visited the Maldives to investigate one of the country’s largest land reclamation projects in the southernmost atoll of Addu. She found that the environmental impact assessment reports for the project showed “long-term irreversible negative impacts” from the project and an army of advocates fighting against these projects. Yet, construction marched on.

This project investigates the true toll these projects have on the environment and society, it seeks to understand the regulatory steps they go through to ultimately get approved, and it shines a light on the side of the Maldives that tourists don’t see.