Key Points

The United Nations, a floating city developer firm called Oceanix, and the South Korean city of Busan on Tuesday unveiled the prototype for a floating, sustainable version of the key shipping hub.

Since 1880, the average global sea level has risen between eight and nine inches, and could rise another 12 inches by 2050.

The floating city prototype is made of interconnected platforms that total 15.5 acres in surface area. Each floating, modular piece of the city is designed for a specific use, like living space, research facilities or lodging.

The United Nations, a floating city development firm called Oceanix, and the South Korean city of Busan on Tuesday unveiled the prototype for a floating, sustainable version of the key shipping hub.

Floating cities could be a way to mitigate the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change. "Sea level rise poses an existential threat for some small islands and some low-lying coasts," according to policymaker-summary remarks in the most recent IPCC report out from the United Nations at the end of February. Rising sea levels threaten coastal electricity and transportation infrastructures, according to the report.