Building Utopia Upon A Rising Sea

The Ecotopia 2121 Project details the futures of 100 cities across the globe as though they've somehow overcome all social and environmental problems to become super-ecofriendly. This week we highlight the future of Goa Velha.

Goa is a former Portuguese colony on the Arabian Sea coast of India. In 1961, it was annexed by the Indian military to become a state within the Republic of India. The Portuguese legacy, though, is still noticeable in the architecture as well as in the large Catholic community.

A major problem this century is that Goa is suffering dire sea-level rises. As the century proceeds, the growing coastal town of Goa Velha will have to adapt physically to the rise of sea level and the erosion of land. As shown below, families of Goa Velha in the future are occupying prefab houses perched on sturdy stilts. By 2121, every new school and health clinic in Goa is also built in this or a similar way and the predominant form of transport between then has become the traditional Indian boats and yachts.