The Maldives is the lowest nation on Earth. Most of its land sits 3.3 feet above sea level. And sea levels are rising. Experts say that most of the Maldives will be underwater by 2050. But the people of the Maldives may have a solution: creating new land.

    The Maldives formed over millions of years. Ocean waves picked sand up from the seafloor. It fell on coral reefs. More and more sand built up. Over time, these piles of sand rose out of the sea, becoming islands.

    Now workers are copying that process. Engineers use special ships. They dig up sand from the seafloor. They pump it through pipes to workers.

    The workers pile the sand onto undersea reefs. They’re creating higher ground on some islands. They’ve also created new islands.

    The Maldives is the lowest nation on Earth, with most of its land sitting just 3.3 feet above sea level. Experts predict that most of the Maldives will be underwater by 2050. But the people of the Maldives may have found an interesting solution: creating new land.

    The Maldives formed over millions of years as ocean waves stirred up sand at the bottom of the ocean and then dropped the sand in layers on top of coral reefs. More and more sand built up. Eventually, these piles of sand rose out of the sea to form islands.

    Now workers are copying that process. Engineers use special ships to dig up sand at the bottom of the sea. They pump the sand through pipes to workers.

    The workers then pile the sand on top of undersea reefs. This process has created higher ground on some islands and has also been used to create entirely new islands.

    So far, the biggest success story is Hulhumalé (hoo-loo-MAH-lee). It is a human-made island. It is still being built. But it’s already the fourth-largest island in the Maldives. It has more than 50,000 residents. It stands 6.6 feet above sea level. That’s twice as high as most of the other islands.

    Workers are building a larger island. It’s called Ras Malé (rahs MAH-lee). It will stand nearly 10 feet above sea level.

    Nature is helping too. How? In the same way that the Maldives first formed: Waves pull sand from the seafloor. They drop it on reefs and beaches. But this process is slow.

    So far, the biggest success story is Hulhumalé (hoo-loo-MAH-lee). This human-made island is still being built, but it’s already the fourth-largest island in the Maldives and is a bustling city with more than 50,000 residents. Standing 6.6 feet above sea level, it’s twice as high as most of the other islands.

    Other parts of the Maldives are also gaining ground. Workers have started building a larger island called Ras Malé (rahs MAH-lee), which will eventually stand nearly 10 feet above sea level.

    Nature has been lending a hand too. How? In the same way that the Maldives first formed: Waves pull sand from the ocean floor and drop it on top of coral reefs and beaches. This process is slow, but it has helped in some places.

    The Maldives give many people hope. It’s a sign of what can be done. But can the Maldives grow high enough and fast enough to escape disaster?

    Some people say too much of the new land is for hotels. That’s good for tourism, which helps the country make money. But it doesn’t really help residents. They need higher islands for homes and schools. They need walls built around existing islands.

    Also, some experts say taking sand from the seafloor hurts coral reefs. And they say other nations must work to stop climate change. Otherwise, the sea will keep rising.

    Naff Asim is a climate activist. She is from the Maldives. She hopes people around the world will see the danger of rising sea levels and take action to help.

    “We must remember that our planet’s well-being is connected,” she says. “What happens here affects us all.” 

    Many people see the Maldives as a reason for hope. It’s a sign of what can be done. But can the Maldives grow high enough and fast enough to escape disaster?

    Some people worry that current projects are too focused on creating land for fancy hotels. That gives a boost to tourism, which helps the country make money. But it doesn’t really help residents, who would be better served by higher islands for homes and schools. Walls built around existing islands could help too.

    Some experts also say that removing all that sand from the seafloor is hurting coral reefs. And they point out that other nations need to take quick, meaningful action to stop climate change. Otherwise, the oceans will continue to rise—no matter how high the Maldives raises its land.

    Naff Asim, a climate activist from the Maldives, hopes that people around the world will see the danger of rising sea levels and take action to help.

    “We must remember that our planet’s well-being is connected,” she explains. “What happens here affects us all.” •