NAPLES, Italy, May 9, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Solutions to the biggest threats
facing our planet lie underground, according to experts who insist climate
change, overpopulation and food shortages can all be tackled by going
subterranean.
“We are coming to a point in our history in which we need to start looking
for more space,” Han Admiraal, a civil engineer with over two decades of
experience in underground space, told AFP on the sidelines of this year’s
World Tunnel Congress.
Efforts to meet seven of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development
goals — from cleaning up pollution-clogged metropolises to ending world
hunger — could be given a big boost by repurposing spaces below street
level, he said.
“We don’t seem to realise that we’re losing a lot of arable land at an
alarming rate each year (to soil degradation, urbanisation and intensive
farming), where we should be increasing it to feed the growing world
population.
“Underground spaces could easily be used for growing crops,” he said, as
he toured the cavernous Bourbon Tunnel, dug deep under the Italian city of
Naples as a potential escape route for King Ferdinand II of Bourbon after the
1848 riots.
Scientific developments in areas like aquaponics — where vegetables and
fish are farmed together — could help relieve the pressure on the food
supply chain, and dramatically cut transport costs if such new farms were
situated under cities.
– ‘New lease of life’ –
Micro greens — tiny seedlings of plants such as fennel, radish or
coriander usually harvested when they are full size — are already being
grown underground, as is lettuce, Admiraal said.
“We could look at adding products like soy or lupin, which can be used as
the basis for creating more protein-rich products that can be used as a
substitute for meat,” reducing our reliance on one of the biggest climate
destroyers: the meat industry.
“You can also think about underground car parks: we know that cars are
killing cities. We’re moving towards electrical vehicles, autonomous
vehicles. So the question is, will those spaces still be needed in the future
in the way they are now? “You could give them a new lease of life that
actually supports the livability of the city,” he said.
From Boston to Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle and Sydney, structures such
as multi-lane highways are being moved underground, with the disused spaces
converted into parks, according to urban planner Antonia Conaro.
“Cities where the population growth is very strong, and which are
struggling with resources, with the impact on their natural habitat… are
looking at innovative ways to expand,” she said.
“They’re looking at floating cities but are realising that’s not the
solution, because it affects marine life and is difficult to build, so why
not go downwards,” added Cornaro, who is on the ITACUS international
underground space committee with Admiraal.
– Shelter from natural disasters –
Metropolises like Singapore and Hong Kong have already begun changing
legislation to allow for everything from universities to libraries, shopping
centres, cinemas and sports facilities to move underground.
Trees planted in new green areas will do their bit to help rein in climate
change, as well as help prevent soil degradation.
Going underground can also help protect populations from the severe
weather events climate change is expected to spark.
“For flooding, and also for other natural disasters, it can really help
make the city more resilient to exploit the underground for shelter,” Cornaro
said.
“Fibre optics can bring sunlight below the surface, and also you can
simulate daylight nowadays,” she adds.
A lack of sunlight has certainly not stopped ferns from growing among the
dust-covered wrecks of cars abandoned in the Bourbon Tunnel decades ago, when
it was used as a police pound.
How well plants can grow without the sun’s rays is the focus of current
studies looking into the optimal frequency of artificial light for
photosynthesis, Admiraal said.