: While the island's construction has displaced/killed most of the local species within a large radius, many are are aware that other species have come to the area due to this construction. - Travel Zoo. The Political Economy of Dubai - Dubai's Role in Facilitating yet unsure how Dubai's debt will affect its current megaprojects. Palm Jumeirah, the only completed island, consists of 17 branches and a central trunk surrounded by a crescent-shaped 11-km breakwater. Still, the vast majority of the population (96%) The existence of political parties is not permitted ("Middle East"). However scientist predicted the oil reserve will die out around 2016. The Dubai Palms: Construction and Environmental Consequences - ResearchGate Find out more about the inspiring people coming to the meeting, including: All around the world, cities are edging further into the sea. skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, Dubai is a breathtaking place to visit. Though much of This is detrimental to marine life, as oyster beds and coral reefs have been completely buried in the thick sediment. In fact, with the introduction of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in 2004, Dubai developed as a global hub for service industries such as IT and finance. This boom has brought Dubais most prevalent businesspeople and policy-makers to focus most on the citys accumulated wealth by diversifying its economy in tourism and real estate two of the most crucial pillars of Dubais fortune today. Dubai Dubai's gorgeous man-made islands aren't just a tourist attractionthey're a major engineering project. At least 1,380 acres (560 hectares) of new land were created in all, within an area about 3.1 miles (5 km) in diameter. Moreover, as a consequence of this, The World Islands in particular are at risk of sinking as the sand used to construct the islands is gradually disintegrating back into the sea, pushing construction companies to re-extract the sand from the seabeds, furthermore destroying the minimal marine life left. Purkis SJ, Riegl B (2005) Spatial and temporal dynamics of Arabian Gulf coral assemblages quantified from remote-sensing and in situ monitoring data (Jebel Ali, Dubai, U.A.E.). . Ironically, despite efforts to push it to the The Impact of the Palm Islands, United Arab Emirates - Google Sites The worlds largest and most diverse environmental network. Shes a citizen of the world; as she has French nationality, is of Italian descent, was born in Sweden, lived in the USA and is now living in Canada! prompted the country to start diversifying, and increased focus has However, Dubais relationship to the environment is problematic as its avant-guardist ambitions clash with the persistence of a sustainable environment and, therefore, a sustainable future. It was the vision of Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who had the idea to build an artificial island in the form of a palm crown in the sea to offer more coastline to the tourists: the Palm Islands are date palm tree shaped and have been developed by Dubai-based real estate developers Al Nakheel Properties. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Market Cycle - Last In Last Out (relative to UK and US markets). As the global population grows, palm oils role in meeting global food demand will increase. Dubai must find a new source of income. For ocean ecosystems, certainly. A massive artificial island that spans about 25 square km, is the first of many to be built on the Gulf coast of Dubai. the country consists of flat desert bordered by mountains in the east, These possible solutions can have sustainable and viable outcomes. Nakheel Properties is the real estate developer of the Palm Islands. World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial . What are the implications for ocean life and ecosystems as we build more and more into the ocean? Created in 2019, Catalyst operates under the portfolio of the VP Publications of the McGill IDSSA. A vehicular tunnel connects the spine to the crescent, and a transit monorail runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the mainland to the crescent through the spine and trunk. Meijaard, E. et al. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the crash of the market for tropical timber . involved! Most (85%) of global palm oil supply comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, followed by Thailand, Colombia and Nigeria. Dubais economy has effectively shifted from oil-based to tourism-based in the last decades. International Development News, Features, and Opinions. As the food . The benefits and downsides of building into the sea - BBC Future In fact, Palm Deira has a larger land mass than Bora Bora (46.35 km versus 30,55 km for Bora Bora). Though the capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi, Dubai serves as the Join 700,000+ Future fans by liking us onFacebook, or follow us onTwitter,Google+,LinkedInandInstagram. It is the biggest man made island in the world. Palm oil is important for global food security and economic development. Moreover, as a consequence of this, The World Islands in particular are at risk of sinking as the sand used to construct the islands is gradually disintegrating back into the sea, pushing construction companies to re-extract the sand from the seabeds, furthermore destroying the minimal marine life left. (eds.) WHY DONT WE BUILD FLOATING STRUCTURES ON THE SURFACE INSTEAD? announced that it was in a debt-crisis and asked creditors to hold Image:REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah. In existing oil palm plantations, producers should also manage their land more responsibly to reduce impacts on biodiversity. Whether there is some symbolism in this or not is unknown, but it is a fond favorite destination for scuba divers. Taxes There are no income or property related taxes of any kind. The two larger palm-shaped islands are still incomplete, due to falling real estate values in Dubai. Tool. 4. For example, oyster beds have been covered in as much as two inches of sediment. In fact, according to the CIA World Among the four agglomerations of artificial islands, Palm Jumeirah is the most known, as it is the first project to have been undertaken in 2001. It has been estimated that oil palm expansion could affect 54% of all threatened mammals and 64% of all threatened birds globally. Jacobs said a default on the nation's debt would cause more than 7 million people to lose their jobs and push the unemployment rate to 8%. Palm Jumeirah was built in the early 21st century and was largely financed from Dubai's substantial income from petroleum. The Marine Environmental Impacts of Artificial Island Construction Donate to theMontreal Native Womens Shelter. Unlike other largescale constructions, the islands' foundations were made from millions of tons of blasted rock, rather than concrete slabs. colony, the UAE is located on the southeast coast of the Arabian In fact, to this day, Dubais oil-wealth only accounts for, while tourism accounts for 20% of the latter. Each island ranges in size from 5 to 20 acres, and with 50 to 100 meters of water separating each island. Around 50% of the worldwide oil palm land is managed by smallholders. It's an acknowledgement that Palm Islanders share a history with over forty different clans. So much rock and sand was used in the islands' construction that it has been estimated that it could be used tobuild a 2-meter wide wall that could encircle the globe three times! This is detrimental to marine life, as oyster beds and coral reefs have been completely buried in the thick sediment. In recent years, however, fear of a dependence on oil has 5 Dec. 2009. Of the three, only Palm Jumeirah has actuallybeen completed and, as the name suggests, takes the form of a large palm tree topped with a crescent. Ninety four million cubic meters of sand and seven million tonnes of rock were used in the construction. In a shocking twist, building giant sand islands can change an ecosystem. Marine Ecology Progress Series 287:99-113. In the second decade of the 21st century, at least 10,000 people lived in Palm Jumeirah; some estimates were much higher. Social Cultural Or Environmental Impact Caused By Tourism Tourism Essay Dubai is one of the richest places in the world, having size twice that of London. For example, oyster beds have been covered in as much as two inches of sediment. In fact, to this day, Dubais oil-wealth only accounts for 1% of the citys GDP (projected to trend around $541.29 billion CAD in 2022) while tourism accounts for 20% of the latter. Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses. Oil palm development, therefore, has significant negative impacts on global biodiversity, as it often replaces tropical forests and other species-rich habitats. Dubai is the new Las Vegas in terms of excessive energy and natural resource use; the, average water consumption in Dubai equates to 550L of water per person. Construction of the buildings began in 2006, and the first residents arrived in 2007. The Palm Islands are an engineering project of staggering proportion. Another impact regarding the lack of attention to the marine biota is the potential destruction of fauna and flora of the Gulf, pushing ecosystems away in order to gain more real estate. In Dubai, tourism have its fair share of negative and positive impacts; it is important however to look at various tourist attractions which are found in Dubai, for easy understanding of the resulting impacts. The. - Travel Zoo. Related the UAE is rich in reserves of natural gas and petroleum. Oil palm expansion could affect 54% of threatened mammals and 64% of threatened birds globally. Palm Jumeirah also has an artificial reef that was partially created by sinking two, 4. Palm Jumeirah was the first of three such manmade archipelagoes planned. The Palm Islands in Dubai are three artificial islands built on the coast of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, One-quarter of Dubais buildings will be 3D printed by 2025, Abu Dhabi just switched on the world's largest 'virtual battery plant', There is a global race to build even taller skyscrapers. "The Real Story Behind Dubai's Palm Islands" - Post on Conte Nast Traveler[click to view], 10. e, including sea cucumbers, coral anemones, oysters, sponges, plankton, butterfly fish, sea grass and jellyfish accept it as part of their natural environment." In July this year, the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague also ruled that China had no historical claim to the region but sabre-rattling continues and there is no sign of an agreement on the horizon. Known for its lavish royal family, luxurious police. Importing country policies need to apply to all vegetable oils, not just palm oil, and must minimise the environmental cost of producing these vegetable oils. Aside from obvious environmental degradation, there is hope in this situation as possible solutions exist such as shifting investments from harmful projects to sustainable ecological ventures, using oyster shells to rebuild Dubais coastline, and ultimately limiting ocean exploitation. Additionally, exclusive residential beachside villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities, and health spas were also planned for the islands. Oak View Group paid for a study that predicts an initial $200 million economic impact, hundreds of new jobs and a $32 million annual economic impact. Palm oil demand is expected to grow at 1.7% per year until 2050. At least 1,380 acres (560 hectares) of new land were created within an area about 3.1 miles (5 km) in diameter." (1998) A new reef marine reserve in the southern Arabian Gulf: Jebel Ali, Dubai (UAE). They would also feature tourist resorts and luxurious homes just a short boat ride from Dubai. wealthier nations in the Arab region; its location between the two "Nakheel: Palm Jumeirah is 'not sinking'" - Arabian Business Post[click to view], 3. . Attempts to build underwater to date have been mainly restricted to scientific labs. Resorts in the works include The Royal Atlantis, next to the existing Atlantis resort, andPalm 360, a two-tower resort connected by a 155m-long 'sky pool'." Rue Mauverney 28 . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvINpoE9mFU>. For instance,The World alone cost $14 billion USD (about $17.83 billion CAD), and caused many negative repercussions in Dubais marine life: the waters have become clouded with silt, stifling a marine life that once was extremely abundant. These possible solutions can have sustainable and viable outcomes. However, According to [] the researcher Bayyinah Salahuddin, Dubais beaches lose between 10,000 and 15,000 cubic meters of sand each year. Palm Island | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Web. Emma Johnston at the University of South Wales, who will be speaking at BBC Futures World-Changing Ideas Summit, argues that we ought to think more about the impact of marine urban sprawl. 7. The Palm Islands on the coastline of Dubai City are part of a major vision being realized by Nakheel, a large development company owned by the UAE Government. The main reason for the construction of the Palm Islands was to increase Dubai's tourism market by providing a one-of-a-kind tourist destination. The 17 fronds are lined with McMansionspacked closer together than buyers were led to believe, likely due to rising costs on the project. Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale. Aside from obvious environmental degradation, there is hope in this situation as possible solutions exist such as shifting investments from harmful projects to sustainable ecological ventures, using oyster shells to rebuild Dubais coastline. Hundreds of millions of cubic meters of rock, sand and limestone were moved from the Persion Gulf and relocated. Environmental impacts of oil palm plantations in Kalangala McGill University, and the International Development Studies Students Association (IDSSA), is founded upon the unceded traditional territories of Indigenous peoples, namely the Haudenosaunee Confederacy who are also known as the Guardians of the Eastern Door, and Anishinabeg Nations. The prolonged shaking can trigger a process called liquefaction, where the once-solid sediments of reclaimed areas can liquefy. Every year around 750 to 1,250 of the species are killed during human-orangutan conflicts, which are often linked to expanding agriculture. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday. Was environmental justice served? University of WisconsinMadison, US, The Environment & Society Portal is a project of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, a joint initiative of LMU Munich and the Deutsches Museum. Contributed by Amelia Puhr Course: Modern Global Environmental History UAE has a federation government "with specified pow, ers delegated to the Dubai giant behind palm islands posts record profits The shape of each island was guided using hi-tech GPS systems onboard each dredger to ensure pinpoint sand deployment accuracy. IUCN tools, publications and other resources. The new terminal will open in 2026 . The three islands, Palm Jumeirah, Deira Islands, and Palm Jebel Ali, are some of the most ambitious engineering projects ever initiated. Bab Al Shams, A Rare Finds Desert Resort, Dubai. A situation analysis by the IUCN Oil Palm Task Force. Plus, growing and harvesting it is cost-effective. By clicking "Accept cookies" you consent to place cookies when visiting the website. Factbook, fewer than 20% of people living in the country are not Unfortunately, there is not much information on the long-term effects of all artificial islands around the world. Since all islands will follow the same plans and consistencies as Palm Jumeirah, we will use the case of Palm Jumeirah to illustrate the issues around its construction. The planning of this geographic transformation started in 2001 and building in 2005-2009.