Big things are happening in the Seaport District of Boston, Massachusetts. General Electric is building its new world headquarters there. Amazon plans to bring in thousands of its workers to the district. The sign of Reebok -- the footwear and clothing business -- sits on top of the new office it opened last year. The Associated Press reports that three technology companies are testing self-driving cars in the area. In addition, crews are busy building restaurants and apartment housing.

But after bad flooding this past winter, critics are wondering if it is a good idea to put so many people on a man-made peninsula that sits just above the sea level. “That was the first winter where we really saw waves splashing onto the boardwalk and water in the streets,” said Greg Hoffmeister. He watched the flooding from the third-floor Seaport office of his business. He added, “You start to think: Is that what we’re in for, as sea levels rise?”

Boston officials say they are taking steps to prepare for increased flooding and rising sea levels. When English settlers arrived in 1630, the city covered an area of about 200 hectares. Now it is much larger and includes over 2,000 hectares of man-made landfill. “We know the water is going to be coming in through South Boston, pretty much from every direction, by 2070,” noted Richard McGuinness, a city planner. He was talking about the neighborhood that includes the Seaport District.

A 2016 city report predicted that sea levels could rise up to 20 centimeters by the year 2030, with the Seaport the area most affected. By 2070, seas could rise 91 centimeters higher than water levels in 2000, affecting some 90,000 people and 12,000 buildings in the area. The economic losses could be in the billions, the report said.

While some developers are designing buildings to survive climate change, many structures that were put up years ago are not ready. Environmental activists and some researchers believe Boston officials should be trying harder to change development patterns.

Officials say they are looking at ways to change and improve the city’s building rules. They are also considering large and costly public work projects to hold the water back. One proposal calls for building a barrier across Boston Harbor. That project could cost $12 billion and take 30 years to complete.

Aliqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”