A sustainable city?

LO: To investigate if Dubai is a sustainable city

Dubai

Dubai Timeline

• Using the resource sheet, complete a timeline to show the change in function and growth of Dubai.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/dubai.php?src=flickr

18th C 2012

What was the cause of Dubai’s rapid growth?

www.mrdemet.wikispaces.com

World Oil

Tourism / MNC’s

Diversification

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_txT0DUDSWQ

Megatropolis

Diversification of Dubai-Is this Sustainable?

• Infrastructure (Transport, roads, rail, air)• Palm islands- Real estate investment • Energy use• Human rights - Asian construction workers

Infrastructure• Cars- Designed for cars not pedestrians. Size, Climate,

Sandstorms- Poor road network. Congestion, Wasting fuel (oil cheap)- Pollution!

• Rail- Doesn’t cover the whole city. Only 2 lines.

• Air- Only way in is to fly! Increased tourism/ business= increased carbon footprint!

Palm islands• The World/ Palm Jumeirah…- 33 million m3 of sand/shell- “Sand into cash”- Real estate developments- Constructed through sand dredgingEnvironmental impacts-Marine ecology= Coral destroyed

Energy use• UAE has one of the highest energy consumptions per person in the world • 2 times higher than UK per personWHY?-Reliance on A/C for the vast indoor spaces-Desalinisation of water- irrigation of tropical landscaping -Oil is cheap so people use lots of it! Cars.

Human rights• Construction workers (migrants from Asian

countries i.e. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)• Labour and human rights issues:• Poorly paid• Dangerous working conditions• Foul living quarters • Results in stress, depression and debt

TASK• Work as a team to research the 4 areas highlighted,

and create a web page.

• Work can be created on line or offline in Word etc and uploaded.

• Remember to collaborate.

How sustainable is Dubai? SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, POLITICAL

TASK• Read the BBC article on the conditions for Asian

construction workers in Dubai.Write either:• A poem about the situation faced by Asian construction

workersOR• A diary entry, from the perspective of one of the workers

Include as much detail and description as possibleThink about how they must be feeling in that situation

Future of Dubai?

• Read the summary statement about the sustainability of Dubai.

• What might the future of Dubai look like?