Foster + Partners, in collaboration with the Maldives Fund Management Corporation (MFMC), has unveiled the masterplan for Gaafaru, an inhabited island in the Kaafu Atoll of the Maldives. This project is designed to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for the island by addressing the critical challenges posed by climate change, rising sea levels, and social inequalities. At the heart of this plan are six guiding principles that aim to balance environmental protection with community prosperity, creating a model of future-proof island development.
Gaafaru, like many low-lying islands, faces a precarious future due to global warming. Predictions suggest that half of its land could be submerged by rising sea levels over the next century. The island's rich biodiversity is also under threat from pollution and increasing sea temperatures. Additionally, social disparities are evident between the local population and the tourism-driven economy, which heavily relies on imports for energy, food, and other essential goods.
Foster + Partners' masterplan tackles these issues through an approach developed with input from sustainability experts and in-house ecologists. The plan envisions the adaptation of Gaafaru to the realities of climate change by reclaiming land sustainably, elevating it to reduce the risk of flooding over the next hundred years.
Native plant species will form green buffer zones along the island's perimeter, creating natural defenses against extreme weather conditions. Efforts to minimize the environmental impact of dredging and land reclamation will be achieved by adopting innovative methods such as piling and floating platforms, significantly reducing the area reclaimed for development. In fact, a substantial portion of the reclaimed land will be dedicated to restoring marine and terrestrial habitats.
Protecting Gaafaru's natural ecology is a cornerstone of the masterplan. Marine Protected Areas will be established to conserve essential habitats and species, safeguarding the health of the island's marine ecosystems. A new marine institute will support these efforts by educating both locals and visitors, while also attracting international researchers to explore innovative ecological restoration initiatives.
Economic prosperity is another key element of the plan, as it seeks to diversify Gaafaru's economic base. The island's growing population will benefit from new employment opportunities in the tourism sector, supported by the creation of luxury resorts and floating platforms designed to produce energy and local food. This approach aims to reduce the island's reliance on imports and encourage self-sufficiency.
To bridge the gap between local communities and tourists, the masterplan includes the development of a comprehensive mobility network that will connect local areas with newly built resorts. New social and recreational spaces, such as guesthouses and parks, will encourage interaction between residents and visitors, creating destinations where both groups can come together easily.
Finally, the project aims to establish Gaafaru as a net-zero island by significantly reducing its dependence on external resources. All fruit and vegetables will be produced locally using farming techniques like hydroponics and greenhouses, while renewable energy will be generated through photovoltaic systems on floating platforms. Water management will be optimized by recycling grey and black water for irrigation and other non-potable uses. A circular economy model will reintegrate waste byproducts into the island's systems, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
In other similar news, the landscape architecture firm SCAPE, in collaboration with Bjarke Ingels Group, has unveiled plans to redevelop Connecticut's Manresa Island into a vibrant public destination focused on learning, exploration, and community engagement. Similarly, Heatherwick Studio has just won the global competition to transform Seoul's uninhabited Nodeul Island on the Han River into a lively public park. Last year, BIG partnered with experimental clothing brand Vollebak to create the vision for a self-sufficient off-grid island in Nova Scotia, Canada.
