News is out that Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion NEOM project may change weather patterns, and with construction in full swing, climate scientists are far more cautious. As per recent warnings from NEOM’s climate adviser, the topic has to be brought to the fore about whether the huge city powered by green hydrogen and featuring a 170km mirrored megastructure could have any impact on the weather. While the warning from experts seems rather far-fetched, the question on everyone’s lips is whether this hydrogen city could rewrite the desert’s climate.
The city that is believed to behave less like a city
NEOM can be seen as being far less like a city and more like a sustainable region being constructed from the core foundation. The most talked about aspect of the city is The Line, a 170km-long vertical city, that is said to cut carbon emissions. According to NEOM’s adviser, Donald Wuebbles, the physical scale of the structure could hinder the natural air flow, distribution of heat, and humidity patterns in the desert.
According to Wuebbles, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Illinois, he has already warned NEOM leaders that continuing with the construction of something that is as massive may affect the climate. Wuebbles also noted that the planned height, shape, and reflective surfaces of The Line may also lead to winds being redirected, and could result in storms and even changing rainfall patterns. Any slight changes in the weather patterns could have serious impacts on plants, wildlife, and desert communities.
Other outlined problems with the NEOM project
NEOM was planned to be a remarkable clean-energy innovation and the world’s largest hydrogen plant. Climate experts, however, see more flaws with the constructions than positives. Constructio has already resulted in emissions, and Wuebbles has mentioned a few other problems:
- Cement production is part of NEOM’s megastructure, emitting CO₂.
- All of the construction vehicles and machinery being used run on combustion engines.
- Dust is resulting from construction and disrupted landforms, which could also result in shifting winds.
As per the sustainability conundrum, there are positives to building this city, but there are already environmental problems occurring during the core construction process.
What do the weather changes that result from construction mean for NEOM?
Wuebbles fears that climate change could occur because large structures influence the weather in small ways. Considering the NEOM project’s unprecedented scale, climate change may be far more unpredictable.
Among the many concerns outlined about weather changes is that of:
- Changed rain patterns: Since moisture may be trapped or even diverted due to the long vertical wall of The Line, rainfall patterns may change.
- Wind patterns may be amended: Due to the 170km barrier, the wind may be rerouted, which will be a huge change for the desert environment.
- Increasing and intensified storms: More storms may occur in the desert, and the intensity of these storms will be far more devastating.
According to Wuebbles, NEOM’s sustainability advisory committee was given instructions to make environmental risk a “key priority.” NEOM has already commissioned academic studies to pursue further investigations; however, these findings have not been made public as yet. NEOM won’t just produce hydrogen; it may lead to more severe climate changes, and this fear has to be considered as development progresses.
A sustainable building set to change the weather
NEOM is like a sustainable vision coming to life, but this desert city powered by wind, solar, and hydrogen may be nightmarish for the desert. Climate warnings, should construction continue, are no longer whispers; they’re heard more loudly. If the 170km mirrored wall can really change the weather, the world has to reconsider whether this sustainable building is truly worth it. Conversations need to change from architectural creativity to climate consequences, or else global disruption may be next. For now, NEOM’s latest discovery has put the world on edge.