World’s First Floating City in Maldives© The Maldives Floating City

World’s First Floating City Is Being Built In The Maldives To Combat Rising Sea Levels

Salva Mubarak
Senior Features Writer

The Maldives might be one of the most picture-perfect getaways in the world but the Islands are also the world’s lowest-lying nation. The highest point in the Maldives sits just under eight feet above sea level on Villingili Island in the Addu Atoll. This is why the celebrity-favourite holiday destination needed an urgent solution for the alarming problem of rising sea levels and shrinking landmass.

This is how the Maldives Floating City began taking shape.

This incredible and first-of-its-kind floating city will have 5,000 housing units linked together and tethered to the floor of a 500-acre lagoon designed to preserve and enhance its natural ecosystem. Situated at just a 15-minute boat ride from the capital city of Malé and the international airport, the project is based on an ‘integrated tourism model’.

Maldives Floating City©The Maldives Floating City

It will include hotels, shops, restaurants, and a marina. The eco-friendly and sustainable city will be a car-free zone where visitors and residents can navigate via a network of canals on boats and natural white sand roads on foot, bicycles, or on electric, noise-free buggies and scooters.

The city will also stimulate coral growth with artificial coral banks attached to the underside of the lagoon. This will also act as a natural wave reduction breaker and stabilise the buildings and structures on the city.

The Maldives Floating City is a private-public partnership between Netherlands-based Dutch Docklands and the island government. The first floating house blocks are being worked on as you read this and they will be transported to the lagoon and opened for public viewing in August. International travellers can also look to invest in their dream island house on the floating city and even obtain a residence permit with the purchase. However, full construction of the city will begin in January 2023 and the project will get completed within five years.