As the sea levels are expected to rise by up to 26 inches by the end of the century, experts cannot help but worry. Climate change is a problem that came from people's inconsiderate practices and now are the ones suffering from its harsh effects. Experts say that by the middle of this century, many of the world's major cities will be flooded. If it gets worse, even whole countries and island nations will all be underwater.
Where will the people relocate? Will there be a place where it is a safe haven from flooding and severe weather conditions?
The United Nations have created a program to specifically address this problem. The Human Settlements Program, also known as the UN Habitat convened for a roundtable discussion of the possible building of floating cities as a solution to the problem on the rising levels of ocean waters. The meeting was held in their headquarters in the East River in New York City. It was only fitting that they thought of that since the room would be underwater in the next few years if the problem worsens.
The proposed city would be named Oceanix City. A team of engineers, designers, scientists, and artists are already discussing the concept of what it takes to have a floating city. The goal was to create a desirable and scalable platform for the potential of civilizations building habitats and growing their communities in floating cities.
The former minister of tourism of French Polynesia was the one who coined the term Oceanix. He was also the brilliant mind behind the Blue Frontiers. The goal of the company was to make available floating houses and offices off the coast of the home country as an alternative method of housing. However, unlike the Blue Frontiers, the building of the Oceanix is driven more of its egalitarian spirit.
"The goal is not to build a luxury product made available only to the rich. That is not what's on the table," Collins said. "Instead, we want to focus on building these floating cities to meet the needs of people for shelter. We want to provide them a solution for housing even before the problem gets worse."
The renowned Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, along with other representatives from various institutions, was the one who provided the design for the Oceanix City. Although the rise in water levels may not seem like a threat yet, scientists and project managers behind the project don't want to wait until the condition gets worse. They want to make sure that people have a good and safe place to live in. Both Collins and Ingels are confident that it possible for people to thrive in floating cities. Despite the challenge in the oceanic environment, they want to reassure the public that the best is yet to come.
