Sustainable development company URB has unveiled its plans for Dubai Reefs, a floating living lab for marine restoration and ecotourism, which will spread over 199 km2 (77 mi2) and feature more than 1 billion corals and over 100 million mangrove trees.
Dubai Reefs consists of a sustainable community for marine research, regeneration, and ecotourism. The project includes residential, hospitality, retail, educational, and research facilities. The marine institute will be the heart of the project, working towards greater protection of the marine and coastal environment of Dubai. It aims to accelerate the marine science and conservation capacity of the city, whilst building the most diverse artificial reef.
The project will offer unique experiences in marine ecotourism, with various floating eco lodges, powered by 10 per cent renewable energy from various types of solar and hydropower. These include wave farms that will also produce additional clean energy for the city’s growing population. Regenerative ocean farming is another key feature of the project, which is a climate-friendly food production technique.
The company’s CEO, Baharash Bagherian, highlighted the importance of the project for Dubai and other coastal cities at risk of rising sea levels.
“The ocean is the source of life controlling everything,” said Bagherian. “Given that everything on our planet is connected, a healthy ocean is a healthy city. Our ocean will be entirely different by the end of the century if we don’t act today. We need an entrepreneurial spirit in the planning of coastal cities and the types of infrastructure, as well as developments that are linked to the ocean. Dubai is best positioned to lead such a transformation. Beyond creating a unique, resilient destination for ecotourism and marine research, Dubai Reefs aims to become a blueprint for ocean living, whilst mitigating the impacts of climate change.”
