Photo credit: www.technologyreview.com

Innovative Approach to Coastal Protection: The Growing Islands Project

Off the coast of the Maldives, near the capital city of Malé, researchers have embarked on an ambitious initiative aimed at addressing the pressing issue of coastal erosion and rising sea levels. This endeavor, known as the Growing Islands project, involves strategically capturing sand to form new islands, restore beaches, and safeguard vulnerable coastal communities.

Approximately ten minutes from shore, in the En’boodhoofinolhu Lagoon, resides the Ramp Ring, an innovative structure composed of six durable geotextile bladders. These submerged modules, deployed in December 2024, measure about two meters in height and are designed to enhance sand accumulation, form new land, and bolster coastal defenses. By February, images from underwater photography revealed significant progress, with sand accumulating approximately one and a half meters along the surfaces of the bladders, showcasing the efficacy of passive design in replenishing beaches and laying the groundwork for new land development.

Skylar Tibbits, an architect and the founder of the MIT Self-Assembly Lab, highlights the extensive sand retention capabilities of the Ramp Ring, indicating early success for the project initiated in collaboration with the Malé-based climate technology company, Invena. The Self-Assembly Lab specializes in material technologies that are capable of self-assembling in response to environmental stimuli such as gravity, waves, and sunlight, offering innovative solutions for sustainable architecture and construction.

The Growing Islands project represents a significant expansion of the lab’s previous efforts, which have involved deploying ten pilot experiments since 2017 across various locations in the Maldives. These earlier projects explored diverse materials and methods, including inflatable offshore structures and mesh nets. The Ramp Ring surpasses its predecessors in scale and design, aiming to address a critical limitation faced by earlier models.

One of the challenges of coastal management in the Maldives is the seasonal variation of ocean currents, which can render previous structures ineffective for part of the year. Many earlier experiments captured sand from only one directional flow, leaving them inactive for months. Conversely, the Ramp Ring’s design is “omnidirectional,” which allows it to trap sand continuously, irrespective of seasonal current shifts. Tibbits explains that the structure forms a continuous loop that consistently captures sand regardless of the monsoon winds or wave direction, enhancing its utility throughout the year.

This innovative approach not only seeks to address immediate environmental challenges but also aims to create a sustainable model for future coastal resilience initiatives around the world. The Growing Islands project heralds a new era in eco-engineering, blending advanced technology with natural processes to combat the effects of climate change on vulnerable coastal regions.

Source
www.technologyreview.com