As Australia grapples with a political refugee challenge, architects are devising radical plans to settle entire nations on floating cities and artificial islands.

Threatened by rising sea levels, Kiribati's President Anote Tong is reportedly seriously considering taking the action of moving the nation’s population to such structures.

Lilypad, a floating ecopolis for climate refugees, by Vincent Callebaut, 2008 © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Although as John Vidal blogs for the Guardian, ultimately these solutions depend on financing, and realistically, as evacuations take place over the next 30 years, Australia, New Zealand and larger Pacific states are likely to be pressured to provide land for the Kiribatians.

However, Vidal quotes a speech to the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum this month, President Anote Tong said radical action was likely needed and that he had been looking at a US$2bn plan that involved "structures resembling oil rigs"

"The last time I saw the models, I was like 'wow it's like science fiction, almost like something in space. So modern, I don't know if our people could live on it. But what would you do for your grandchildren? If you're faced with the option of being submerged, with your family, would you jump on an oil rig like that? And [I] think the answer is 'yes'. We are running out of options, so we are considering all of them."

Architects are coming up with ever more plausible solutions.

Architecture & Design recently caught up with caught up with internationally acclaimed architect Kevin Shopfer to talk about progress on his floating cities development, which he explains are edging closer to being realised.

Bangkok architects S+PBA have conceived floating "wetropolis" to possibly replace Bangkok, which is founded on marshes.

Vidal also points to German architect Wolf Hilbertz's idea for a self-assembling sea city called Autopia Ampere, where he plans to use the process of electrodeposition to create an island that would build itself in the water.

Another solution proposed is the floating ecopolis for climate refugees designed by Vincent Callebaut Architect.

ilypad, a floating ecopolis for climate refugees, by Vincent Callebaut, 2008 © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Callebaut writes on his website:

“To reply to the mutation of the migratory flows coming from the hydroclimatic factors, Lilypad join thus on the mode of anticipation particular to the Jules Verne’s literature, the alternative possibility of a multicultural floating Ecopolis whose metabolism would be in perfect symbiosis with the cycles of the nature.”

“It is a true amphibian half aquatic and half terrestrial city, able to accommodate 50,000 inhabitants and inviting the biodiversity to develop its fauna and flora around a central lagoon of soft water collecting and purifying the rain waters. This artificial lagoon is entirely immersed ballasting thus the city.

“The floating structure directly inspired of the highly ribbed leave of the great lilypad of Amazonia Victoria Regia increased 250 times.

“The double skin is made of polyester fibres covered by a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) like an anatase which by reacting to the ultraviolet rays enable to absorb the atmospheric pollution by photocatalytic effect.

“Entirely autosufficient, Lilypad takes up the four main challenges launched by the OECD in March 2008: climate, biodiversity, water and health. It reached a positive energetic balance with zero carbone emission by the integration of all the renewable energies (solar, thermal and photovoltaic energies, wind energy, hydraulic, tidal power station, osmotic energies, phytopurification, biomass) producing thus durably more energy that it consumes!"

David Wheeldon

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