If Magnus Larsson, a student of the Architectural Association in London, has his way, he'll combat the encroaching Sahara desert and provide green refugee housing simultaneously. The ambitious plan turns sand into sandstone by using microbes to eat the sand and output a solid surface that can be shaped into any structure needed.
While there is already a plan being carried out to plant more vegetation in the soil, Larsson's proposal provides much more than just a simple green line. It will serve as more of a structure with the purpose of creating not only a habitat for the trees and vegetation, but for the humans who could live and take care of them. This seems to be a win-win scenario for many of the African nations involved, not only in preventing their nations from turning into Sahara sand, but also providing a more comprehensive solution than simply planting migratory trees.
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2009.