The Maldives is sinking, scientists predict rising sea water levels will submerge it by the turn of the century.

So if you were the Maldivian government, what would you do to ensure the survival of you nation, your 1,190 islands of white sand and crystal clear waters?

Well, the Maldivian government hired a Dutch design firm which specialize in waterfront design and are in the process of planning the creation of man-made floating artificial islands!

Here is the official description of the work underway;

“The $500 million joint venture with architectural firm Dutch Docklands International will create the largest series of artificial floating islands in the world. The islands will be anchored to the seabed using cables or telescopic mooring piles to keep the structures stable throughout the worst of the Indian Ocean’s storms, while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impact.”

A series of small islands rather of one large one is planned hoping to minimize the impact on the aquatic life. But is this going to become like the expanding coastlines of many nations who are building more and more water front properties on reclaimed land, a rather precarious proposition which impact on the environment are just stating to be felt?

How can they really assess the real impact on the ocean life?

“…the reefs provide a habitat for at least 25 percent of all marine animals, including sponges, more than 4,000 different species of fish, anemones, sea stars, crabs and other crustaceans, and clams and other mollusks. Since coral reefs serve as home to so many different species, many scientists refer to coral reefs as the “rainforests of the oceans.”

They plan to built slabs of concrete and polystyrene foam, anchored to the seabed  using cables and mooring piles, tunnels linking different areas, golf courses, and so on.

A lot of publicity about the project having little impact on the environment seems a bit ludicrous when nothing of this nature and magnitude has ever been done.

When Palm Island was being planned in Dubai, there were so many report and experts asserting that the project was perfectly environmentally sound, but today the real impacts are obvious to every one.