A marine science council will join a United Nations project to build the world’s first prototype of a floating community in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan. The academic council will offer science and technology-related advice to Busan for the establishment of floating cities which have been presented as a solution to ensure climate resilience.
In November 2021, UN-Habitat, a UN agency that oversees sustainable urban development, selected Busan as a partner city to create a new habitat for people living in coastal areas threatened by rising populations and sea levels. The construction is led by Oceanix, a blue tech company based in the United States.
By 2028, about 720 billion won ($554 million) will be injected to build three modules with a total capacity of 12,000 people. A 15.5 acre (62,726 square meters)-wide infrastructure with outposts and greenhouses will be created with each neighborhood designed to serve a specific purpose — living, research, and lodging.
Modules are able to withstand waves and typhoons as they are fixed to the seabed with biorocks, a limestone-coated material created by exposing underwater minerals to an electric current.
Busan said in a statement that the city has teamed up with the Korean Association of Ocean Science and Technology Societies for the floating community project. The council consists of six research institutes including a shipbuilding organization and a marine environment academy will cooperate to discover new projects to actualize the smart marine city.
Busan also aims to realize a sustainable ocean city by producing all the energy needed for the operation of the city with solar panels and by recycling resources including water.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
