Blueprint for the Century Dreaming of the North - Climate Change and the Human Migration Initiative (Early 21st Century)

Blueprint for the Century Dreaming of the North - Climate Change and the Human Migration Initiative (Early 21st Century)

At the beginning of the 21st century, the effects of global warming are becoming evident on a global scale, and temperature rises of three to four degrees Celsius are becoming a reality. Abnormal weather events such as receding ice sheets, rising sea levels, droughts, and floods are no longer warnings of the distant future, but are an everyday reality that is affecting many parts of the world. Under these circumstances, there is a growing argument that planned migration is essential for human survival.

The concept sounds both bold and realistic. The choice is to build new cities in the far northern frontiers of Canada and Siberia and, conversely, to abandon vast areas of the tropics. The viewpoint that we should transcend political borders and rethink population allocation in accordance with natural foundations such as geology, ecosystems, and the distribution of water resources, shakes up conventional nation-centered thinking.

Against the background of the times, immigration and refugee problems are becoming more serious in many countries, while globalization is progressing after the Cold War. In Europe, the influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa has shaken societies, and in the United States, divisions over immigration policy are intensifying. Combined with the new concept of "climate refugees" due to climate change, a future in which hundreds of millions of people seek a new home is becoming a reality.

Furthermore, in 2007, for the first time in history, the urban population exceeded the rural population, and urbanization has become a major human trend. If this wave of urban concentration is combined with the "northward expansion of habitable areas" brought about by climate change, there is a growing realization that the construction of cities in the north is inevitable. The fact that resource development and the use of Arctic sea routes are already underway in Alaska and Siberia also supports this vision.

Seeing the world from a new perspective" is a survival strategy for preparing for the future of the Earth. Beyond national and political boundaries, the idea of rearranging populations and cities based on environmental conditions involves political and ethical issues as well as scientific predictions. It is a mixture of the anxieties and hopes of humankind, and is richly imbued with the atmosphere of the early 21st century.