Malaysia is one of the few countries that share Dubai’s obsession with manmade islands and grandeur. We have often cast a critical eye on the Emirate’s core developers for building artificial islands that have wrecked havoc on the Gulf’s marine environment, but the danger doesn’t end there.
Malaysia is one of the few countries that share Dubai’s obsession with manmade islands and grandeur. We have often cast a critical eye on the Emirate’s core developers for building artificial islands that have wrecked havoc on the Gulf’s marine environment, but the danger doesn’t end there.
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As increasing levels of greenhouse gases choke the planet and giant plumes of methane fast-track global warming, glaciers and ice caps melt, leaving all low-lying and coastal developments vulnerable to rising sea levels. Take a look at the beautiful Malacca Straits Mosque in Malaysia. It was propped up on concrete pillars, but how will it fare in a few decades when the Strait of Malacca is one meter higher?
Monitoring sea levels
One of the most important shipping lanes in the world, the Strait of Malacca is particularly vulnerable to climate change. The Malay Government has long known this. Even during colonial times, tidal stations were set up to monitor sea levels in the country.
According to the Sea Level Monitoring Network, "there are 12 tidal stations along the coast of Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) and 9 tidal stations along the coast of Sabah and Sarawak (East Malaysia)."
But this hasn’t stopped such improbable developments as the Malacaa Island – the first "Twin Island City Center" – on which southern shore the Malacca Straits Mosque was built.
Article continues: http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/02/malacca-straight-mosque-rising-seas/
Mosque image via Shutterstock
