Man-made Island is constructed to save Lagos’s economy

Logos is one of the most densely populated cities of Africa, which is endangered by rising sea levels. As the name “logos” suggests the city of the lake, its population lives in floating shanty slums. Lagos consists of a mainland and a series of islands, which make it especially susceptible to rising sea levels.

                                                                   Image © Google Earth and Eko Atlantic.

The city is facing the biggest recession in 30 years, most of its population is jobless. South Energyx Nigeria Limited started a project in 2009 known as Eko Atlantic to build a 5-mile Island to save Lagos’s economy. It provided 2,50,000 new jobs and housing. The growth of the project includes everything from skyscrapers to luxury flats, a new financial district, a private power-grid, and a shopping boulevard like the iconic New York’s Fifth Avenue.

                                                             Master plan of Eko Atlantic. Image © Eko Atlantic.

Eko Atlantic is still in progress by dredging and filling up 10 kilometers worth of soil. Satellite imageries of DigitalGlobe from 2009 to 2017 are used to monitor this project, 2017 latest imagery shows that it is still far from the goal. DigitalGlobe is a leading provider of commercial high-resolution Earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions that help decision makers better understand our changing planet in order to save lives, resources and time.

                                                                                      Image © DigitalGlobe

The government of Lagos has programs in place to address coastal erosion because Lagos’ location leaves it highly susceptible to rising ocean levels and catastrophic storm surges. In 2012, a storm surge in the same area of Eko Atlantic’s construction killed 16 people. In the wake of the disaster, the developers of the project highlighted the fabrication of The Great Wall of Lagos,” a sea wall that encloses about the urban center and protects it from the effects of the surrounding Atlantic. The sea wall is designed and tested to withstand the worst storms.

Approximately 30,00,000 cubic meters (39,00,000 Cu yd) have been sand-filled and ordered in the reclamation area, while roughly 35,000 tonnes of rock have been forked over to the site. The entire area encompassed by the project is approx. 25 square kms., 10 square kms. on land and 15 square kms. on water.

                                 The constrution of “The Great Wall of Lagos. Image © Eko Atlantic

Summary:

Logos is the most populous city of Africa which is threatened by rising sea levels. A project known as Eko Atlantic had started in 2009  to build 5-mile Island to save Lagos’ economy. It provides 2,50,000 new jobs and housing. Satellite imageries of DigitalGlobe are used to monitor the progress of the project.