Coastal erosion in the Maldives: beaches, seawalls, change

Maldivian islands are piles of sand and broken coral sitting on reef platforms. The sand is made by the reef itself: by parrotfish, broken coral and shells. Waves and currents then push that sand around the island.

That makes the shoreline restless by nature. A beach can grow on one side of an island and shrink on the other within a few months. Erosion becomes a problem when sand leaves and does not come back, or when it is lost from a stretch where houses, roads, mosques or harbours sit close to the water.

On most local islands, homes are a short walk from the shore, so a few metres of lost beach matters.

The best official numbers come from island and atoll offices, compiled by the former Environmental Protection Agency and published in the Statistical Yearbook by the national statistics office:

• 2012: 89 inhabited islands reported severe erosion
• 2013: 109 inhabited islands
• 2014: 114 inhabited islands, out of 187 inhabited islands at the time

That is about six in ten inhabited islands reporting severe erosion in a single year. Later statements by environment ministers have put the figure higher still. One minister told an international roundtable that more than 90% of islands report annual flooding and shoreline erosion, and that 64% face severe erosion.

These are council-reported figures, so treat them as a picture of scale rather than a precise count. More recently, the environment ministry has said it used a monitoring tool to track coastal change across the islands from 2015 to 2023, and is building a coastal hazard map from councils’ erosion reports, with 102 islands mapped so far (as reported by PSM).

Natural, seasonal shifts

The Maldives has two monsoons: the northeast monsoon (iruvai) and the southwest monsoon (hulhangu). When the wind and waves change direction, sand moves with them.

A peer-reviewed study of eight islands in South Maalhosmadulu (Baa) Atoll by Kench and Brander (2006, Journal of Geophysical Research) found that beaches moved a great deal between seasons, but that the net change over a full year was small. In other words, much “erosion” is sand on a seasonal journey around the island. Read more in our guide to the Maldivian monsoons.

Storms and swell

Strong swell, especially in the southwest monsoon, can strip a beach in days. High waves flooded Malé in 1987, which led to the seawall now wrapped around the capital. Our weather hazards guide explains swell and storm alerts.

Harbours and breakwaters

Most local islands now have a dredged harbour with breakwaters. These are vital for boats and ferries, but they block the natural flow of sand along the shore. Sand piles up on one side and the beach downstream starves.

Reclamation and dredging

Pumping lagoon sand to make new land changes how waves reach the shore and can cloud nearby reefs. See land reclamation in the Maldives covers this in more detail.

Taking sand

Removing sand from islands is banned, because it speeds up erosion. Even so, national news still reports illegal sand removal, and island councils have stepped in to have sand returned to the shore (as reported by Edition, July 2026).

Damaged reefs

Healthy reefs break waves before they reach the beach and make fresh sand. When coral bleaches and dies, both jobs suffer. See coral reefs of the Maldives.

A large study by Duvat and Magnan (2019, Scientific Reports) compared satellite images of 608 Maldivian islands from around 2004–06 and 2014–16. It found that change over that decade was fast and mostly caused by people rather than climate.

By 2014–16, among the inhabited and otherwise used islands in the study (resorts, airports, industrial islands):

• about 65% had reclaimed land
• about 53% had a proper harbour
• about 52% had seawalls or similar structures along the shore
• about 29% had groynes

The authors judged that about one in five of these islands had almost or entirely lost its natural ability to adjust to the sea. This sits alongside other research showing many islands have grown in area, often because of reclamation. Our guide Is the Maldives sinking? explains why “growing” and “safe” are not the same thing.

Seawalls and revetments

A seawall is a vertical wall at the back of the beach. A revetment is a sloping bank of rock, concrete blocks or sand-filled bags. Both hold the land in place, but waves bouncing off them can scour away the sand in front, so beaches often narrow over time.

The best known is Malé’s seawall. After the 1987 high waves, Japan funded emergency breakwaters and then a seawall of about 6 km around the whole island, finished in 2002, much of it fronted by concrete tetrapods. Japanese government sources credit it with shielding Malé during the 2004 tsunami. Our Malé guide covers the capital itself.

Groynes and breakwaters

Groynes are short walls built out into the lagoon at right angles to the beach. They trap sand moving along the shore. Offshore breakwaters calm the waves before they arrive. Both help one stretch of beach, sometimes at the expense of the next.

Sandbags

On many smaller islands, communities fill large geotextile bags with sand as a quick, cheaper defence. Councils often describe these as a temporary fix while they wait for a full project.

Beach nourishment

Nourishment means pumping or trucking sand back onto a beach. It keeps a natural-looking shore, but sand has to be replaced from time to time, and dredging it can affect reefs. Projects need environmental approval.

Nature-based protection

Healthy reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves and coastal vegetation all slow waves and hold sand. Beach shrubs bind the sand behind the beach, and clearing them often makes erosion worse.

Coastal protection projects are funded by the state and by partners. The environment ministry has said shore protection work is under way with support from the Green Climate Fund and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and that a national coastal protection policy is being drafted. Projects named include Gan, Isdhoo and Fonadhoo in Laamu Atoll and Meedhoo in Addu (as reported by PSM). Island councils regularly press for faster work, and delays are a frequent story in national news.

• Beaches change. A beach that is wide in one season may be narrow or even gone in another, and come back later. Photos online may be from a different time of year.
• Expect defences in places. Rock walls, sandbags or tetrapods are a normal sight on local islands, especially near harbours. Bikini beaches are usually on the most stable sandy stretches.
• Take care on rock walls. Rocks and blocks are slippery and gaps can trap feet. Don’t climb tetrapods, and don’t swim beside harbour walls where boats pass.
• Check currents. A beach that has narrowed can mean deeper water and stronger currents close to shore.

On Dhiffushi, as on any local island, the best place to swim depends on the season and the boat lanes. Our Dhiffushi beach guide explains where to go.

• Never take sand, coral or shells, even small amounts. Removing sand from islands is banned, and many marine products need a permit to leave the country.
• Don’t trample or cut beach plants; use paths through the vegetation.
• Don’t stand on coral or kick up sand when snorkelling.
• Choose reef-friendly habits and avoid single-use plastic.
• On sandbanks and picnic islands, take everything home with you.

More ideas are in our responsible travel guide.