small island nations that dredge for island growth

It was built to awaken a dead lake and will be one of the largest ecological restoration projects in western Europe if the long-term plan for the site is completed. Scientists, too, find this island cluster hard to define. It has a marine character, with marram grasses waving on dunes and seashells scattered on the sandy paths - but it sits in a freshwater lake.

Its lonely landscape feels like wild nature - yet it is carefully shaped by human hands. Now, a rich variety of plants, fish and insects have settled into that protected environment, along with vast numbers of breeding birds.

Taking sand and mud from the lake floor, they created seven islands enveloped by dunes and beaches. This is some of the newest land on the planet: Marker Wadden, a 1,300-hectare archipelago that ecological engineers, landscape architects and a dredging company have built since 2016. When the Sun shines on that distant spot, white sand glints in the light. Look carefully, however, and a smudge appears on the lake’s horizon. On a cold winter day, there is little but the odd ship to interrupt the bleakness of Markermeer.

Beyond the harbour walls of Lelystad in the Netherlands, dark waters stretch into the distance to meet overcast skies.

Small island nations that dredge for island growth