The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has shown itself to be an innovative country, with the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi leading the way. Growing by leaps and bounds, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become centers for research and development of the old and new energy economy. For all the enthusiasm, one question remains. Is this type of growth sustainable? Wired magazine showcased a brief time lapse video (seen below) of the growth that has taken place in Dubai, including a shot of one of the three man-made Palm Islands. Perhaps the most striking feature of the growth is the conquering of both sand and water.
“The city known for indoor desert skiing, man-made islands and underwater hotels” will soon have another marvel of human engineering. The Dubai Tower, scheduled for completion later this year, was ranked fourth on the Science Channel’s Top 10 Engineering feats. Considering the raw materials (steel and concrete) necessary to build the structure, the energy need to cool it in the searing desert heat, and lack of freshwater for internal plumbing, this structure represents one facet of Dubai’s extreme living. National Geographic’s series Man-Made featured the islands off Dubai’s coast, which serve as another example of man’s control of nature. Is man’s control of nature really benign or sustainable? One project in particular, “The World”, has taken steps to ensure the health of the surrounding marine ecosystem. By planning for the natural world, it is possible that the future development in places like the UAE can continue, but as mentioned in a previous post, if food and water cannot be locally produced, the project cannot be truly sustainable.
On a few occasions, 2nd Green Revolution has written about the Masdar Initiative, an ambitious plan to create a zero waste, energy independent city in Abu Dhabi. With a masterplan by architect Norman Foster’s firm (Foster + Partners), The Masdar Initiative aims to generate its own power (mostly solar energy) and draw upon ancient walled cities for inspiration. Everything from water to waste will be carefully managed in this planned city. Masdar represents a departure from New Urbanist planning found in the United States. Perhaps the major difference between the two approaches is the self-sufficient nature of Masdar. With energy, water, and food needs included, Masdar may indeed be the role model for sustainable development going forward.
[image source: masdar.ae]
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