2100: a sea odyssey is a project of landscape architectural design that includes a series of illustrations and a research book.
2100: a sea odyssey deals with climate change consequences and what sea level rise means at the time of the Anthropocene, era in which the action of man is the main geological force. Not only did we design solutions to contrast risks, but we are proposing a new way of looking a world crossing a specific age. The history of the impermanence of the territory allows us to recognize that man’s instinct for survival has made possible enormous transformations, perhaps even greater than those caused by catastrophic events- the one destructive to the natural landscapes that host them, the others towards the action of man. Above all else we have not abandoned an optimistic attitude, so we are not talking about extinction, but we are thinking about transformations and evolution, designing a possible future scenario of 2100.
Science fiction is the chosen vehicle for challenging conceptions of time, testing future scenarios, but especially for informing people to the risks that involves all of us, but that still have not a big impact on our conscience and on our everyday life. Crossing a time-line that starts from the past until the 2100, the series of illustrations want to tell a story focusing on the city of Ravenna as a sample city, since it is strongly subjected to the consequences of the acceleration of the climate change and in particular to the risk of the sea level rise. The illustrated history is used as a tool to learn, to sensitize people and to raise awareness, aiming to catch the sight of children, students, adults till elderly man.
2nd PART OF THE SERIES
The second part of the series shows how human actions on the territory are leading to an acceleration of climate change, as we can see from the constant growth of catastrophic events, such as floods and rising sea levels, from which dramatic consequences will follow both for man and the territory.
7.SOS FLOODS (84,1 cm x 59,4 cm) -Today, as in the past, the territory suffered several floods. The flooding risk is very serious here!
In 2015, one of the strongest flood took place on the coast of Emilia Romagna.
The sea level of 1.21 m was the highest level ever recorded by the tidal station.
In Ravenna there were 400 evacuated people, 40 km of inaccessible roads, about 60 fallen trees... These disasters happened also in 1636,1651,1693,1700 and 1715.
8.SEA LEVEL RISE (42 cm x 29,7 cm) -The sea level is rising: the ravennate coast is among the areas most exposed to this phenomenon, since it has been built on a land ripped off from the sea in the past.
Without a drastic change, the expected increase of sea level by 2100 will irreversibly change the current morphology of the Italian territory, with a forecast of flooding up to 5,500 km2 of coastal plain, where it is concentrated over half of the Italian population and innumerable sites defines heritage of humanity by Unesco.
9.LANDSCAPE AND PEOPLE MIGRATION (59,4 cm x 42 cm) -There will be numerous consequences of the acceleration of climate change.
Due to alterations in the natural habitats, landscapes will tend to mutate and migrate.
The territory will become increasingly hostile for the humans, forcing them to migrate in the hope of finding safer places.
10.PROLIFERATION OF URBAN WASTE (42 cm x 29,7 cm) - After floods and sea level rise, water will reach cities, factories and roads.
The proliferation of urban waste will therefore be inevitable.
The lands, the waters and the sea will be strongly contaminated....
11.AGRICULTURAL WASTE AND SALINITY (59,4 cm x 42 cm) -...even agriculture will not be saved. The contaminated waters will irrigate the fields that produce food for the population. The salinity of the sea will irreversibly compromise the production of crops.Slowly the first economical resource of the territory will be lost.
12.RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (42 cm x 29,7 cm) -So what can we do?
First of all we have to know these risks and start being sensitive about what is happening.
It is not possible to stop the climate change, but we can decrease the upcoming disaster.
Let’s clean contaminated soils up, in order to give back to the sea healthy lands!
The contaminated soils can be cleaned up in 10 years by planting sunflowers and trees.