Building resilience in the Marshall Islands

Improving the Marshallese people’s quality of life and having a solid and sustainable plan for the future is a priority for the Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority (KADA).

With our expertise in urban design, planning, infrastructure and sustainable development, Beca was well placed to deliver the practical and achievable plan that KADA requires.

Scattered halfway between Hawai’i and the Philippines, the beautiful and remote Marshall Islands contains Kwajalein Atoll, the largest coral atoll in the world.

Home to an active US ballistic missile test site, with relocated residents, high population densities, and limited social and economic opportunities, KADA are currently facing some unique challenges for improving the quality of life for Atoll residents, particularly on the island of Ebeye. As a consequence they have engaged Beca to assist with a plan to remedy these issues. 

Ebeye, with a population of around 10,000 people living on a land mass of just 31 hectares, is one of the most densely populated places in the world.

The Atoll’s remoteness and lack of available land presented minimal space for development, crowded living conditions, and pressured education, and health care services, not to mention very real risks from climate change.

Following multiple visits to the Atoll and thorough assessment from across our environmental, planning and urban design disciplines, Beca developed and presented our two-part solution; the Kwajalein Atoll Masterplan (KAMP) and 10-year Infrastructure Development Maintenance Plan (IDMP). 

The comprehensive masterplan supports KADA’s ability to base decisions on long-term strategy, to best promote the people of Kwajalein Atoll’s ongoing resilience and sustainable growth, health and wellbeing.  The IDMP provides a costed and prioritised list of infrastructure projects and other investments required to support the KAMP, enabling KADA to seek any additional funding and support required from donors. 

Photo credit:  Aerial photographs courtesy of Anjojo Kabua III