The islands are platforms made of expanded polystyrene and concrete, which will be anchored to the bottom with cables and sliding piles. Strong connections and at the same time low mobility will ensure stability of the structure even during a strong storm. The project cost is $ 500 million.
At first, the islands will be a luxurious "attraction" for wealthy tourists, and then the whole country will move to floating structures - after all, the water level in the ocean will rise by 30-50 cm in 100 years. Experts predict that in the coming years the Maldives may completely go under water. after all, the highest point of the country rises above sea level by only 2.4 m. The government considered several options for solving the problem: the construction of protective walls around the Maldives, the purchase of land in other countries to relocate residents to other regions, and, finally, such floating islands.
The largest island - in the shape of a starfish - is a hotel and conference center. From Male, the capital of the Maldives, it can be reached by speedboat in just 5 minutes.
Not far from it will be an archipelago of 43 private "atolls", each of which will have a villa, swimming pool, beach and jetty, including for small submarines. At the end of each jetty, a pavilion is provided, so that boats can float right in it - in the middle of the living room. The service staff will live nearby - on special "working islands".
Artificial Styrofoam islands are paving the way for climate change mitigation, water management and environmental sustainability. As Paul Van de Kamp, CEO of Dutch Docklands said, "We will transform the islanders from climate refugees to climate innovators."
The first floating islands are planned to be built in 2013. In order to minimize the impact on the local ecology and save money, the expanded polystyrene structures will be built in India or the Middle East, and then towed to the Maldives. Here they will be landscaped - landscaped and roads will be built.
Material provided by the Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Polystyrene Foam
