South Korea: World's first floating city coming soon

The world's first ever floating city is being built in South Korea.

The project - which could be finished by 2025 - has been backed by the United Nations as a way of tackling rising sea levels.

The floating city is being built off the coast of the city of Busan. It'll be flood resistant and will be made up of a series of islands which rise with the sea.

The designers also hope to create a floating city that will generate electricity from solar panels, produce its own food and fresh water.

The agreement has been signed as part of the UN-Habitat project, which works in over 90 countries to promote more sustainable ways of living in cities.

Why has Busan been chosen?

Busan is home to 3.4 million people and is one of the busiest shipping ports in the world.

This means local builders and engineers have a lot of experience of building along the water.

Coastal cities like Busan are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, caused by global warming.

Scientists estimate that sea levels could rise by more than a metre by 2100 which would affect millions of people around the world who live in coastal communities.

"Instead of fighting with water, let us learn to live in harmony with it," said Maimunah Mohd Sharif, from UN-Habitat.

South Korea is also vulnerable to numerous natural disasters, including typhoons, floods, droughts, landslides, snowstorms, tsunamis and earthquakes. It's hoped the city will be able to withstand these because the floating platforms will be anchored to the sea floor.

Construction of the floating city is estimated to cost £150 million and it's thought that it could house close to 10,000 residents.