CAN WE SAVE ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS FROM THE RISING SEA LEVELS? THE ANSWER IS YES!

Prof Kosmas Pavlopoulos

Sorbonne Professor of Geology-Geomorphology Geography and Planning

Since 1958, carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 25 percent, and sea levels have risen at a drastic rate from 1.7 mm/ year to 3.2 mm/year, this has prompted a research proposal that studies how a special type of construction technique can save UAE’s and other global artificial islands from drowning.

The research is entitled, “Climate Change Impact on the UAE Artificial Islands. Monitoring the coastal risk in UAE” was a project supported by Ph.D. student Walid Mekni, Ph.D. student from SUAD, registered in Sorbonne University doctoral school, supervised by Professor Kosmas Pavlopoulos.

The research proposal looks to study the challenge of infrastructure sustainability against climate change, given that ocean acidification and sea level rise are on different fronts of impact mitigation (economic, environmental, social, political, geological, etc.).

There are two major risks facing both coastal areas and islands, even artificial ones. The first risk is flooding undersea levels due to climate change, which has been addressed in other research, however, the risk of land drowning, due to geological/geotechnical phenomena such as seismic-induced liquefaction, has not been addressed.

According to Prof Kosmas Pavlopoulos, “Land drowning is a real threat and should be considered before designing artificial islands. The risk is especially high from acidification of the seas and oceans due to the ever-increasing emission of carbon dioxide, degrading the strength and cohesion of the carbonate sediment’s structure that form the foundation of the artificial islands core.”

He believes the real threat to artificial islands is not so much from the rising sea level around the island but from the drowning of the island because of the geological effects on the core of the island’s body.

As such Pavlopoulos and PhD student Walid Mekni are studying soil body failure and geological-induced drowning focusing on the failure mechanisms that harm the soil body due to the higher sea levels and other climate change mechanisms.

The research aims to deepen the understanding of the coastal geomorphology, the geotechnical and the geochemical processes that have a negative effect on the artificial carbonate sediments that form the background of the foundation. The research sets to propose solutions that will improve the response of the artificial islands in sea level rise and reinforce/improve the geotechnical characteristics of the foundation background.

So how does this relate to sustainability and climate change?

Pavlopoulos explains, “The research’s purpose is to assess the sustainability of the artificial island’s bodies against the climate change features. This internal stability of the soil formation of the islands is a main sustainability challenge for the economic and social life.”

He adds, “The use of artificial islands in UAE is for different purposes; as examples, Khalifa Port (KIZAD) and Jebel Ali Ports have been built both on artificial islands, and both ports are main important facilities for the industrial economy in UAE. Das Island, Hail, and Ghasha are artificial islands used by ADNOC for oil exploration in the offshore oil fields, Jumeira Palm Island and “The World island are for touristic and residential/ entertainment purposes.” So, contributing to preserving these projects from survival threats is indeed a scientific contribution to preserving the economy and social life of the UAE. Moreover, by making the artificial islands sustainable and resilient, such as saving resources both water and energy, we are contributing to sustainable development and security.

One of the most interesting features of the research is that it will study real use cases of recently developed artificial islands built using different construction technologies. The 360-degree assessment will benefit all the available recent technology tools, such as Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) on the Dubai coast, as well as finite-element numerical modeling, as well as manual testing in the laboratory, as well as literature review of previous case studies in Japan's artificial islands.

Based on the results of these different research fronts, recommendations will be provided for the preventions to be considered prior to the development of the artificial islands. The prevention covers the concept stage of the artificial island, the engineering, and as well the construction stage, moving into the maintenance stage during the lifetime.

In addition, the results of the current research are basic for the consideration of investment efficiency in the classic artificial islands technologies (Sand Bodies).

Pavlopoulos comments, “Governments, such as Maldives, which are investing in classic artificial islands technology as a solution to the loss of territory due to sea level rise, may reconsider the adopted solutions, opting for a new generation of artificial islands such as the floating islands for instance. The commercial impact is also evident since adopting new construction techniques and planning will significantly affect the budgets of the artificial islands construction, making them resilient to sea level rise, ocean acidification, and climate change.

The research will be available when the Ph.D. thesis results are published in an international peer review journal.