How Saving The Maldives May Actually Destroy It
Reclaiming land, but losing paradise?
Just imagine waking up one day to find the sea that was once at your doorstep replaced by a fake 130-meter beach. This is the new reality for the residents of Addu, the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. But this shocking transformation isn’t new — it’s a desperate move to keep the country above water and thriving.
The government has been sucking up sand, coral, and debris from the ocean floor to create new land. If they don’t, this archipelago of islands could be completely underwater by 2100: 80% of the country is less than 1 meter above sea level, making it one of the countries most at risk from rising seas.
However, this drastic measure has backfired. The once attractive “sun, sand, and sea” combination that lured tourists to Addu has been devoured by a human-engineered desert that has pushed the ocean beyond the easy reach of most visitors.
And this controversial initiative could have wider and deeper consequences by destroying coral reefs and seagrass meadows and, ironically, making the Maldives even more susceptible to rising seas.
