Ties der Van Hoeven, A Dutch engineer, has a plan to transform the world’s deserts into lush, green landscapes booming with wildlife.; modifying what we know as harsh, dry biomes into thriving, abundant paradises for wildlife, but how? And why?
Van Hoeven Is a co-founder of a Dutch firm of holistic engineers to regreen the Sinai peninsula, dry land in Egypt. Ties believes engineering is the answer to tackle climate change, but questions arise about whether or not it will do more good than harm or vice versa. In addition, he is also known for specifically being a hydraulic engineer at Belgian dredging company DEME, In the past he has worked on other environmental projects such as building artificial islands in Dubai. Other aspects of Van Hoeven’s history include him being both co-founder and creative director of The Weather Makers as well, A company that “Aims to restore water cycles, achieve overall biosphere restoration, and to create a healthy planet.”, said the company earlier this year on their official website. While all of these claims collectively seem good for the earth, while they are, is Ties der Van Hoeven’s way of achieving said goals the best way to do so? While anyone can have good intentions, It Is often that their actions don’t have the aftermath they imagined; In this case, if his decision leaves a different impact than he had envisioned, there are chances of our environment being even more intoxicated and in ruins than it already is.
Moreover, desertification, known as the process by which fertile land becomes desert (typically a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.) is a growing concern, as it affects both people and the environment globally. Some examples of this are food scarcity, loss of biodiversity, Human health, water scarcity, and climate change. Ties der Van Hoeven’s approach to transforming deserts consists of devising a more eco-friendly and efficient method of dredging by using inexpensive sensors to model maritime conditions in real-time to determine when and where it will be safe to begin work.
Of course, transforming deserts Is a lot easier said than done. While cheaper methods are being tested, They will still always cost a fortune regardless. The cost of such an ambitious project could be substantial, and there are rising concerns about unintentional ecological downfalls. However, Van Hoeven chooses to ignore these aspects and focuses on long-term sustainability rather than short-term, along with careful environmental planning to avoid disruptions to local ecosystems. Additionally, on top of ecosystems, there are wildlife concerns within this project as well. For example, When you transform an entire environment into its polar opposite, creatures that have adapted to the previously harsh conditions for hundreds of years will be unable to withstand the drastic changes and will be at more than a risk of losing their homes, slowly killing off many desert species.
In addition, Ties der Van Hoeven’s dream Is more than just a dream, It Is a goal that he is confident in accomplishing. Humanity’s relationship with the planet is being considered as are the long-term effects within this project, both good and bad. As we face the growing impacts of climate change, ambitious ideas such as Van Hoeven’s will make or break the future of our planet. What would you decide?
