Building a floating city on the water sounds incredible. But in the Maldives, where such cities are taking shape in response to rising sea levels, the first apartments for the project will be available at the end of June. Despite the designers' repeated emphasis that "technology is no longer a problem," questions have been raised about the utility, safety, and price cost of maritime cities. So, are "floating cities" a "face project for the rich" or a proven solution to the climate crisis?
"Floating City"
In response to rising sea levels, the Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives announced plans to establish "floating cities" in March, CNN reported. At present, the first apartments of this plan have been completed and are scheduled to be launched at the end of June. It is reported that the developer expects the first residents to move in in 2024, and the city will be completely completed in 2027.
"The city has a nature-based structure of roads and canals that resemble the way brain corals are organized." The New York Times wrote. Nestled on a lagoon, the "Floating City" is designed in a pattern similar to a coral reef and consists of 5,000 floating units. The city will be equipped with infrastructure such as houses, restaurants, shops and schools to accommodate 20,000 people. In addition to the intelligent organizational structure, "face value" is also a highlight of this future city. The houses here are colourfully rainbow-coloured, with spacious balconies and beautiful sea views being standard in all residences. In addition, there are canals running through the "Floating City", which can be reached by boat in just 10 minutes from Malé, the capital of the Maldives.
Koen Olthuis, founder of Waterstudio, the architecture firm that designed the city, said the "floating city" was built to solve the problems posed by rising sea levels. It is reported that the Maldives, which is composed of 1190 coral islands, is the lowest altitude country in the world, with an average altitude of only 1 meter, and the sea level rise caused by global warming has made the Maldives face a serious threat. The data shows that last year, more than $82 billion (about 550 billion yuan) was lost to the global economy due to urban flooding due to climate reasons. A report by the World Resources Institute predicts that this loss will rise to $700 billion by 2030.
"Sustainable floating cities are part of the climate adaptation strategies available to us. Instead of fighting water, let's learn to live in harmony with water. We look forward to the development of climate adaptation and nature-based solutions through the concept of floating cities. Maimunah Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said. Orseus noted that "floating cities" will provide safe building spaces for overcrowded and flood-threatened cities, and it will become the hope of Maldivian residents.
What are the challenges?
In fact, skepticism about the "floating city" project has long existed. "Floating cities" are often accused of being "rich people's face projects", which is similar to the "moon landing plan to combat climate change", people's concerns and questions about the practicality, safety, price and cost of cities have never stopped, so how do "floating cities" solve these problems?
How do you deal with waves and hurricanes?
"Each unit platform of the 'Floating City' is very stable and they can withstand natural disasters, including floods, tsunamis and Category 5 hurricanes." According to media reports, each island in the "floating city" is made up of modular pod living units, which are anchored to a large underwater concrete hull once in place, and the hull is screwed onto a telescopic steel frame on the seabed. In addition, the coral reefs that surround the city help provide a natural "wave blocker" that stabilizes the city and prevents residents from seasickness.
Will it cause marine pollution?
CNN pointed out that "self-sufficiency" is one of the important goals of "floating cities". It is reported that the "floating city" will be mainly powered by solar energy, and the sewage will be treated locally and reused as fertilizer for plants. In addition, through the cooperation with the Zero Waste Design Center, the modular city has also challenged the economic model of waste manufacturing in the past. For example, food waste will be converted into energy and compost in community gardens, disposable packaging will be eliminated, sewage will be treated in algae ponds, deep-sea cooling water will be used as an alternative to air conditioning, and so on.
In order to protect marine life, local coral experts made a rigorous assessment of the possible environmental pollution caused by the building before construction, and according to marine experts' recommendations, artificial coral shorelines made of foam glass are connected to the bottom of the city, which experts believe helps to stimulate the natural growth of corals.
How do I get food?
Cages under each pod island are known to be used to farm scallops, kelp or other marine products, while fish excrement can be used to fertilize plants. Some experts pointed out that the diet of residents is dominated by seafood, which will reduce the pressure on space, energy and water resources. In addition, organic produce will be grown efficiently in gas and hydroponic systems, complemented by traditional outdoor farms and greenhouses. Air cultivation refers to the cultivation of plants in an air or mist environment that does not use soil, while hydroponics refers to the cultivation of plants and fish farming with the help of beneficial bacteria.
Is it expensive?
According to Ortheus, floating city residences are very affordable: the average price for a studio starts at $150,000, and a family suite starts at $250,000. "This floating city is no different from a normal city except floating on the surface of the sea," Ortheus said, "and we built it not to buy and collect for the rich, but to actually combat climate change." We wanted the city to be both practical and affordable for the average resident. ”
Despite the doubts, Alseus is confident about the city of the future. "Technology is not an issue, it just takes time to adjust the regulatory framework," he said, "and 'floating cities' will grow rapidly when the government learns that the cost of project development is lower than the cost of damaging coastal infrastructure caused by the climate crisis." ”
News source: CNN, some of the pictures are from the Internet
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