
Rising seas threaten to submerge low-lying nations such as the Maldives. When environmental disaster looms, man is called to rise above it with creativity–and you can’t get much more creative than proposed floating cities. Just what is this innovative idea being floated to combat the challenge of climate change for coastal communities?
First things first. Exactly where is the Maldives? This southeastern Asian nation with a population of around 541,000 is located southwest of Sri Lanka and India. Composed of 26 atolls, it is the lowest country in the world.
The harsh reality is that the Maldives, long a luxury vacation destination for the wealthy, may go under–literally. According to National Geographic, some experts fear this Indian Ocean nation may become the first one to disappear entirely beneath the sea. Such a fate isn’t surprising given the country consists of 1,190 low-lying islands, 80% of whose land area is less than a meter (just over 3 feet) above sea level, and sea levels are projected to rise up to a meter by the end of the century. Can you say, “Glub, glub?”
Citizens of the Maldives have no choice but to come up with a practical solution to the rising sea levels they are facing. Aha! Why not work with nature and not against it? The nation can’t stop the waves, but, hey, why not go up with them? A floating city could rise with the sea.
To pursue the idea of a floating city, a Dutch developer, the local government in the Maldives’ capital, and a Dutch architect are collaborating. Their aim? Build the first floating city in the world–the cleverly (Warning: sarcasm font in use) named Maldives Floating City or “MFC.”
Hard at work on this novel project is the aptly-named Dutch architectural firm Waterstudio which is dedicated entirely to building on the water. Being based in The Netherlands, home to a floating park, a floating office building, and a floating dairy, gives it plenty of inspiration.
The first floating city in the world will be located in a 500-acre lagoon ten minutes by boat (of course!) from the country’s capital and its international airport. No land reclamation is required for MFC, and the floating community will be eco-friendly. A mass of modular floating platforms in the pattern of brain coral (what a brainy idea!) will form the city. Water canals offer transportation by boat to move people and goods within MFC, while land-based movements are limited to walking and biking as cars aren’t permitted.
How big will this floating city be? The aim is to house 20,000 people in a web of 5,000 floating buildings. Not only is housing offered, but schools and shops will be included in the development as well.
While this plan sounds amazing, how safe would it be? What if a big storm comes up? (As a Florida resident, I am of course mindful of such a possibility.) Coral reefs naturally surround the Maldives. These formations, which act as wave breakers, should help protect the city from storms and extreme weather. Additionally, artificial coral banks are to be attached to the underside of the floating city which will stimulate coral growth and thus more protection.
This futuristic city may be the answer for the Maldives’ climate change issue, but when would it be built? The answer is that the future is NOW. The first units in this development were to open for viewing in June 2022. Residents can move in early in 2024 with the city being fully completed in 2027. Prices are around $250,000 for a family home, but apartments will also be offered.
Even if the sea were not rising so dangerously for one of the the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate change, floating cities also offer a possible solution for another problem–overcrowding. The Maldivan capital of Male is one of the world’s most densely populated cities in the world, and it’s located on a small finite island. MFC provides additional housing without the need for additional land on which to build it.
Floating cities aren’t only being considered in the Maldives. In December 2021, the South Korean shipping city of Busan announced it was working on a prototype of a similar city, to be called Oceanix, Such a development would allow the country’s second largest city (population about 3.4 million) and the world’s sixth busiest port to expand off its coast. That project is being pursued jointly with UN Habitat, the United Nation’s agency for urban and sustainable development.
Experts have suggested that other large coastal cities, such as Miami, New York, Tokyo, and Shanghai, may also consider the possibility of floating cities. Miami, the U.S. metropolitan area most exposed to sea level rise, has been battling severe flooding due to the rising sea level, and Miami Beach is facing a rise of more than two feet in sea level by 2060. New York City is home to the most people living within 3 feet of high tide; various projections call for sea levels to rise another 1 to 4 feet there by 2100. Things could get wet in NYC in a New York minute!
So, if anyone asks, “What’s up?,” you can truthfully answer, “Sea levels and cities above the waves.” It’s rise to the challenge of rising sea levels or watch cities–and countries–go under. Man’s creativity in devising floating cities may turn the tide with the quandary of how to deal with ocean creep impacting coastal communities.
WONDER-ing Woman:
Does a floating city seem like an idea out of a sci-fi movie? How comfortable would you feel living in such a community? What problems or issues can you see arising with such developments?