The World islands in Dubai: Ingenious or folly?

[southrnpride]

Recently I've been reading a lot about man-made islands in the Persian Gulf (mostly in the Dubai area) and other recently popular vacationing areas, specifically speaking about The World settlement.

These man-made islands are made by importing and shifting millions of pounds of sand to form these islands. After an island is purchased, a landowner can then "terraform" their island (within regulations) to suit their needs, created coves etc.

But who says these man-made islands are safe? They call it "land reclamation", but with the rising tides around the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, is it really "reclaiming" land? Are these unnatural mounds really safe enough for humans to live on?

They also say that the environment is being protected, which is understandable; they are increasing habitat space. But with hundreds, maybe thousands of people about to be inhabiting the area, how much of the water and new land be suitable for wildlife?

Another double-edged sword is that these islands (just one set of many around Dubai) could protect Dubai from storm surges and other natural ocean issues, however, these islands would bear the brunt of any storm surge or high tides.

So what do you think?
Do these islands help, hurt, or do anything at all to wildlife, human population, and the earth in general?

For those who want more information, please visit:
http://www.theworld.ae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_(archipelago)