The Vietnam Mekong Delta: An area of population of 17 million people and famous because of the enormous fruit and rice cultivation.

This fairy tale is at risk. The deterioration of agriculture and rivers here occurs daily. If no action is taken, this fairy tale will flood in less than 30 years due to rising sea level and subsidence. As a result and the coastline will even further return to the similar location as 2000 years BC.

The critical situation has caused a massive migration from rural to urban area.. Cities are growing at the seams.

A potentially solution to save the most people may be found in the power of the mangrove ecosystem. Throughout time, mangroves has protected the delta by preventing coastal erosion, as well providing a natural breakwater from intens waves. Despite the social and ecological benefits of mangrove ecosystems, the number of mangroves within the Mekong Delta has been reduced to half. The remaining mangrove ecosystems are no longer sufficient in providing protection to The Mekong Delta.

What strategy can be used to save as much as possible people in an accessible way?

Looking to nature’s past, the mangrove has been the protective factor for deltas. I proposed to create a substantial mangrove forest that acts like a shielding ring around a civilisation: a full-fledged mangrove forest that can withstand the forces of the sea within 20 years to protect the city. This concept ‘Ark City’ provides defense and services for civilisation.

The scalability of Árk City’promotes a feasible solution across urban and rural landscape. From villages to mega-cities, capturing the benefits of mangrove ecosystem forest is possible, as long as it is in a tropical tidal area. We let nature do the greatest work. Residents and the government can in accordance organize it.

The Ark City, a strategy that uses the power of nature to protect the city from the sea.