Concerned about severe storms and hurricanes that in recent years have been unleashed over New York City, he United States Army Corps of Engineers has presented an unprecedented project: the construction of a Wall at sea to prevent the City of Lights from flooding and run the risk of disappearing because of climate change.
As reported from the aforementioned military body to the Daily Timeyes, the gigantic marine wall would have a 10 kilometer extension and it would be composed of a gate system that, when closed, would be able to stop the advance of the waters towards the North American capital.
The infrastructure is would build away from the urban center, in the outermost part of the bay of NY, so it would be invisible from Manhattan and would protect millions of people, in addition to the important monuments and avenues of the city.
Its construction would require a investment close to 119,000 million dollars and 25 years of works. So I just might go into operation at the beginning of the year 2046.
Voices against
But, as was to be expected, as soon as the announcement of its possible construction was made known, there was numerous voices against him, as many experts warned that solutions like this gigantic sea wall in the waters of New York not only would they be useless in the face of torrential storms but, on the contrary, rainwater would be trapped inside the city, which would seriously danger ecological restoration plans taking place in and around New York City.
In addition, they highlighted that with the wall closing the city in the background, the sewers could not expel sewage, which would cause the New Yorkers get caught in their own waste.
For its part, the Corps of Engineers assured that, although the construction of the sea wall is the option that had the most acceptance in public opinion, exist four other proposals that could also help protect the city. Three of them involve different combinations of small dams at the mouths of several New York City waterways, while the fourth and last alternative includes only ground measurements.
“The barriers are a shiny object, but they are a unique solution that takes us away from where we need to go. The danger of a great wall is that if something fails, we are all in danger. We need layered solutions”, Commented Paul Gallay, Head of Riverkeeper, an advocacy group for Hudson River that flows into the city, al Times.
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