A new study has revealed that the Maldives has reclaimed more land over the past 24 years than the combined total reclaimed across Europe and Africa, highlighting the extraordinary pace at which the island nation is reshaping its coastline.
The study, Land Reclamation in the Maldives: Trends and Impacts from 2000 to 2024, provides the first nationwide assessment of reclamation activities across inhabited islands and offers new insight into the scale, drivers and consequences of the country’s rapid expansion.
According to the findings, more than 4,000 hectares of land were created between 2000 and 2024 through 109 reclamation projects carried out on 69 inhabited islands. This means that roughly one in every three inhabited islands in the Maldives has undergone some form of reclamation.
Researchers found that the Central Region accounts for 71 percent of all reclaimed land in the country, with Kaafu Atoll alone contributing more than half of the national total. Major projects such as Hulhumalé, Gulhifalhu and Ras Malé have played a significant role in this expansion.
The report also identified a dramatic increase in reclamation activity following the Maldives’ transition to a multi-party political system in 2008. The highest number of projects launched in a single year was recorded in 2023, when 25 new reclamation projects began across the country.
Despite the scale of development, the study raises concerns about whether reclamation efforts are aligned with national population and economic trends. Researchers noted that several large-scale projects have been carried out on islands with relatively small or stagnant populations, even as migration toward the Greater Malé Region continues.
The study further highlights what it describes as repeated infrastructure duplication, including the construction of airports and other major facilities within the same atolls, suggesting weaknesses in long-term national planning and coordination.
Environmental concerns also feature prominently in the findings. The researchers warn that standardised reclamation and coastal engineering approaches often fail to account for the unique characteristics of individual islands, potentially increasing risks such as coastal erosion, flooding, poor drainage and the loss of natural coastal protection.
In addition, the report points to shortcomings in environmental oversight, citing concerns over project approvals, transparency and compliance monitoring within the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
While acknowledging that land reclamation remains a critical development tool for a nation facing severe land constraints, the study warns that poorly planned projects could increase vulnerability rather than reduce it.
The authors urge policymakers to ensure that future reclamation projects are guided by population trends, environmental resilience and economic priorities, in line with the goals outlined in the Maldives’ 2024 National Development Masterplan.
The findings underscore the scale of transformation underway in the Maldives, a country that is increasingly becoming one of the world’s most extensively modified coastal nations relative to its size.
