Living on the water has always been a popular notion, but waterfront properties are usually on the pricier side. This is what has fueled the idea of houseboats and other structures to become directly-on-the-water residences. It allows for the slightly less fortunate to find a way around having to pay for any land or preexisting home whatsoever, and still gives the same benefits. While this is all fine and dandy there is also a large downside that must be explored when considering living on the water.
Last week, I looked into the rise and fall of Seattle's houseboats, and how they have been completely limited due to new city codes. This week I'd like to expand my range of research abroad. I started with; What is the largest community on the water in the world? The answer is the community of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria considered to be the "Venice of Africa" this community is home to an estimated 250,000 people. No one knows for sure how many people live there. In fact, some locals estimate the population to be somewhere in the one million range. Unfortunately, hardly any real data has been found due to the nature of the village. Technically, it is the biggest floating slum on earth. What is known is that there are six distinct districts on land and water that make up Makoko; Oko Agbon, Adogbo, Migbewhe, Yanshiwhe, Sogunro, and Apollo. Surprisingly, this fishing settlement dates back as far as the 18th century, and it is a multicultural settlement with a mix of Yoruba, French, and Edun.
Although Makoko is historic and highly multicultural the government hates having a slum so visible from the most traveled bridge in west Africa. In 2012 they gave residents on the waterfront area a 72 hour notice to leave their homes before they were demolished, and it was estimated that almost 3,000 people lost their homes. Though it is entirely unethical to be destroying these peoples homes, after watching a video of a boat maneuvering through the village, it is safe to say that it is not eco-friendly whatsoever. Nobody in the community uses motors, because plastic and excess waste floating on the top of the water will get trapped in the propellers. Also, sanitation quality is very poor in the community about 15 homes share a communal toilet each. There are no schools or hospitals either. For every 20 only one person is considered to be above the primary and secondary level of education. So, it is crystal clear that this community needs solutions!
That's where the Makoko Floating School comes into play. Built in 2013, this structure was completely floating, and meant to help with social and physical needs in the community. It also meant to set an example for more sustainable, ecological, and alternative to the current stilt driven housing system. Unfortunately, it collapsed due to lack of proper maintenance/upkeep and weather conditions.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/africa/nigeria-makoko-mapping-intl/index.html
https://www.urbanet.info/mapping-makoko-a-community-stating-its-right-to-exist/#:~:text=Makoko%2C%20a%20water%2Dfront%20settlement,whom%20live%20in%20difficult%20conditions.
https://www.nleworks.com/case/makoko-floating-school/
It's cool that you focused on the downsides to this type of living, or really that in trying to solve a problem, a lot of unintended consequences came up. I wonder what questions that made you think about? Would you be focusing on the pros and cons of these floating properties, an aspect of them that could be improved, or the people who live in these places and what needs they have? I'm excited to keep reading your posts on this topic :) It's really interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like living on the water isn't a feasible way to live. The best example I can think of living on the water is Venice, however, even Venice has problems with flooding and with factors like climate change, pollution, tropical storms, and sea level rise living on the water presents many problems. I believe the best way to "live" on the water is to focus on boat design. I have heard stories of people living on boats for extended periods of time. I would recommend that you look into that aspect of living on water.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to look further into the upkeep of these structures and what materials would make them plausible, and what price range that would be even over time. It seems to be a great idea in concept, but in practice comes with a lot of unintended consequences. Is there a solution this typology would benefit from? If so, what would that look like? Your research is really intriguing, I am excited to see where you take this!
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