This study assesses the evolution of 104 inhabited and 82 resort islands across the Maldives between 2004-2006 and 2014-2016 and investigates the contribution of human drivers. Using multi-date satellite imagery, we show that 59.1 % of these islands expanded as a result of human intervention, including mainly land reclamation (often associated with harbor development) and the construction of engineering structures. Land reclamation drove island expansion on 93.5 % of inhabited islands, whereas land reclamation and/or the effects of engineered structures (especially groins and breakwaters) were involved in 79.2 % of the resort islands. Almost 52 % of the islands that increased in size experienced growth rates ≥10 %, with 13 inhabited and 6 resort islands exhibiting growth rates ≥50 %. As a result of widespread human intervention, these islands behave very differently from both the documented Pacific islands and the Maldivian islands of Gaafu-Alifu Dhaalu Atoll (most of which are ‘natural’), 15.5 % and 19.5 % of which underwent expansion over the past decades, respectively. Changes on the islands were driven by political-institutional (one-size-fits-all risk reduction policy based on hard engineering in inhabited islands), demographic (population growth) and socioeconomic (developing and securing outer inhabited islands and post-tsunami tourism growth) factors. The Maldivian island model of ‘reclamation-fortification’ has detrimental impacts on the environment while also questioning the future capacity of the Maldives to face a hard path under increasing risks. Results from the Maldives more broadly offer lessons for other island countries and territories by highlighting the importance of distinguishing between inhabited and exploited and natural islands, and accounting for path dependencies, when designing adaptation solutions.

这项研究评估了2004-2006年至2014-2016年间马尔代夫104个有人居住的岛屿和82个度假胜地的演变，并调查了人类驾驶员的贡献。使用多日期卫星图像，我们发现这些岛中有59.1％是由于人为干预而扩大的，主要包括土地开垦（通常与海港开发有关）和工程结构的建设。土地开垦推动了93.5％的有人居住的岛屿的岛屿扩张，而79.2％的度假岛屿涉及土地开垦和/或工程结构（特别是腹股沟和防波堤）的影响。面积增加的岛屿中，几乎有52％的增长率≥10％，其中有13个有人居住的岛屿和6个度假胜地的增长率≥50％。由于广泛的人为干预，这些岛屿的行为与有记载的太平洋岛屿和Gaafu-Alifu Dhaalu环礁的马尔代夫岛屿（大多数是“天然”）截然不同，在过去的几十年中分别有15.5％和19.5％的扩张。岛屿的变化是由政治体制（基于对有人居住的岛屿进行艰苦工程的千篇一律的降低风险的政策），人口统计（人口增长）和社会经济（发展和保护外来有人居住的岛屿以及海啸后的旅游业增长）驱动的）因素。马尔代夫“填海造林”模式对环境产生了不利影响，同时也质疑了马尔代夫未来在日益增加的风险下面临艰难道路的能力。