Climate change is causing all sorts of damage: droughts, fires and floods first and foremost. According to theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change global warming is essentially irreversible, which means that these dangers will continue to arise. Fortunately, some countries have started planning ahead.
The Metropolitan City of Busan of the Republic of Korea, UN-Habitat and OCEANIX have joined forces to build the world's first sustainable floating city prototype to overcome the risks of climate change.
An adaptive and floating city
“Sustainable floating cities are part of the arsenal of climate adaptation strategies at our disposal. Instead of fighting with water, let's learn to live in harmony with it. We look forward to developing nature-based solutions through the floating city concept, and Busan is the ideal choice to implement the prototype,” UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif said in a statement.
As the population grows, more and more people are being pushed to coastal cities. However, these regions are notoriously prone to floods and hurricanes.
Part of adapting to climate changes it consists of building types of cities that can withstand these risks. The technology and science used in this first prototype city could be replicated in other cities in other regions, creating a safer and more climate-resilient world.
Busan will have a seaside appendage
The city of Busan, which also participates in the 2030 World Expo, is one of the most important maritime cities of the 21st century. Obviously it is an ideal place for the first prototype of a floating city.
The new floating city will consist of a series of hexagonal platforms perched above the water. It will benefit from a floating limestone coating that, when exposed to an electrical current, developed from underwater minerals, to shelter itself.
The city will be completely self-sufficient, develop its own food and water, and be immune to all kinds of threats related to climate change, including Category 5 hurricanes. All in all, the city will be a notable example of the cities of the future.
