Miami faces tough challenges in tackling climate change: Will a check dam prevent the city from going underwater?

Global warming is leading to rising sea levels. Coastal cities, such as Miami, They emerge to see a good portion of its streets under water. Sea level is expected to rise by half a meter to one meter by 2070. In Miami, currently, Sea level rises by five centimeters a year. The problem is real.

Some plans to prevent this from happening or continue to happen, One of them is to build a wall to act as a barrier.

The U.S. federal government is trying to be proactive in tackling the problems of global warming Will develop in your country in the coming years. One of the major conflicts is related to rising sea levels Melting at the poles, Which makes the earth get water, Causing flooding.

Coastal cities like Miami reveal this is happening. In fact, flooding occurs frequently. When the city has its own plans – this includes continuous pumps and bonuses that draw water continuously $ 200 million for infrastructure called climate adaptation– The Central Government has a fundamental role to play.

Three years ago, at the initiative of the government in Washington, a study was conducted to mark it What can be done to avoid this flood. The Army Corps of Engineers responded: Build a wall 20 feet high on Biscayne Bay -In parallel- it acts as a barrier against water. The problem? Not everyone wants to walk like this because it covers part of the Miami Date view, which is one of the best attractions in the area.

According to the plan, It will be a wall of about 10 kilometers, Often within the city, parallel to the bay, Except for one mile above the height of the city’s financial center, Brickell, it will be built directly on the water.

The cost of the project Billion 6 billion And, if possible, It will only be in five years.

It is clear that a wall will not solve the causes of the increase in water level, but it will be a solution to its effects, They are flooded.

As this mega project is being discussed, the city of Miami is taking some small-scale action. For example, in recent years, construction standards for neighborhoods bordering the Gulf Biscayne, Will increase the need to elevate buildings. Others are as simple as encouraging tree planting. 4,000 trees were planted in Miami last year. Each tree, once grown, absorbs 100 gallons of water a day, helping with the flood problem.

The situation of rising water levels is worrying, at least so far it seems inevitable. But beyond this problem, which takes many years, Miami is already facing conflict with flooding. Every time it rains, the accumulated water days last in coastal areas like Brickell and Miami Beach. It’s not about believing that this problem will come, but about finding a way to avoid experiencing it already.

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