Sea Level Rise? 'Sustainable Maritime City' Is the Answer... Busan City Attends UN-Habitat Roundtable Meeting

Expected aerial view of the maritime city.

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[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Busan City will announce the promotion of a "sustainable floating city" at the UN-HABITAT roundtable meeting held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 25th.

The sustainable floating city is a climate change adaptation measure proposed by UN-HABITAT for coastal cities vulnerable to sea level rise caused by climate change.

The floating city is expected to become an innovative alternative that embodies the values pursued by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and UN-HABITAT's "New Urban Agenda," such as social inclusion, adaptability, environmental and economic sustainability, and prepares for sea level rise.

Last November, the city signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MOU) among Busan City, UN-HABITAT, and Oceanix to participate in and cooperate on the floating city pilot model project.

The city agreed to provide administrative support, UN-HABITAT to support the project as an international organization, and Oceanix to fulfill the role of project implementer.

The floating city pilot model aims to create an eco-friendly self-sufficient city by installing floating structures on the sea instead of coastal reclamation, without destroying the marine ecosystem, applying six integrated systems: zero-waste circular system, closed water system, food production, net-zero carbon energy, innovative mobility, and coastal habitat restoration.

The roundtable meeting is a high-level UN-HABITAT meeting to evaluate the implementation of the "New Urban Agenda" and is held to discuss the progress of the sustainable floating city promotion.

The roundtable will be attended by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, UN-HABITAT Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif, senior UN officials, diplomats from various countries, and technical experts related to floating cities.

The meeting agenda includes ▲opening remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed ▲video keynote speech by Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun ▲world's first floating city pilot model unveiling ▲discussion on floating city infrastructure.

Busan's representative, International Relations Ambassador Park Eun-ha, is scheduled to attend the roundtable as the city's delegate.

The Busan representative will participate in speeches and discussions to announce the promotion of the floating city pilot model and partnerships, and will also promote and campaign for the 2030 Busan World Expo to UN member state ambassadors and permanent representatives.

At the roundtable, Oceanix, the project implementer of the floating city, will unveil the world's first floating city pilot model designed in collaboration with global experts including the world-renowned architect Bjarke Ingels of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), domestic comprehensive architectural firms Samwoo, A-Lab, and Bouygues.

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun is expected to say in his keynote speech, "Busan's participation in the 'Sustainable Floating City' project will serve as a model case of global partnership cooperation and implementation," and "We ask for your participation in Busan's efforts toward a better future and joint efforts by the international community to achieve carbon neutrality in the era of climate change."

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