While many islands are known for their natural beauty, there
are islands dotting the world's seas that were formed by man rather than Mother
Nature. Some of these man-made islands were created for flood protection, some
were developed for tourism and others serve as wildlife sanctuaries. While many
of these creations are true feats of engineering, there have been reports on
the ecological impact of some of these artificial islands. Dubai's
mega-projects such as the World Islands and the Palm Jumeirah, for example, are
projects "so substantial that they have changed the ecology in ways that
are only going to become clear in decades," said Peter Sale, a marine
ecologist at the United Nations University (UNU) Institute for Water,
Environment and Health who co-authored a report on the impact of development of
the Gulf.
Part of the planned Palm Islands, a cluster of
"manufactured" islands in the United Arab Emirates, Palm Jumeirah is
an artificial archipelago designed in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of
a trunk, a crown with 16 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms
an 6.8-mile-long breakwater and is now the home of the luxury resort Palm
Atlantis Hotel. Construction on the Palm began in 2001, and it added 40 miles
to Dubai's coastline. Once complete, the island will have hotel rooms and homes
for 65,000 people, according to Guardian.
The Palm was created using 7 million tons of rock, according
to its developer Nakheel. The island also includes a curved breakwater using
natural rock, intended to encourage the creation of a natural reef and provide
habitats for sea life. In 2009, the Palm Jumeirah Monorail opened to the
public. It's the first monorail in the Middle East, and connects the trunk of
Palm Jumeirah and the Atlantis Aquaventure Station on the crescent and will
ultimately connect the archipelago to the mainland.
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