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NARRATOR: Satellites above an iconic
American city
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make an alarming discovery.
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Vast ruins stand out
in the middle of the Saharan Desert.
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Drones uncover a puzzling stone
mystery perched
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high in the Andes.
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And a massive,
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modern metropolis in the Mongolian
desert totally deserted.
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- Where is everybody?
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NARRATOR: Everywhere
we look on our planet,
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there's evidence of the past.
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In nature. In buildings. In relics.
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Each holds a mystery that technology
now allows us to see from above.
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What new secrets are revealed?
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Across the globe, more than half
of the world's population -
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4.4 billion people -
live in cities, each full of hidden
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stories and secrets that are best
revealed with a view from above.
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Flying high above New York City,
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cutting edge technology
discovers something shocking.
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InSar satellites -
designed to detect
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variations in the earth's surface -
uncover an alarming increase in
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the rate of a bizarre and disturbing
phenomena called 'subsidence'.
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- Subsidence is a geological
term for the downward vertical
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movement of the Earth's surface.
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Basically it's sinking.
- Hold on, did you say sinking?
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So New York City is sinking?
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- And they found this out
- from the sky? How's that work?
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- InSAR satellites are especially
good at detecting
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and measuring subsidence.
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With each pass over the earth,
they track ground deformation
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and changes that occur
gradually over months or years.
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- They can cover huge areas,
making them
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ideal for urban
environments like New York.
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- Subsidence has been occurring
where New York City now sits
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since the end of the last ice age.
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As the ice sheets retreated,
the land once covered by the ice,
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north of the city,
began to rise up and the land just
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south of the ice, where New York
City is today, began to sink.
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That slow response to melting
of the ice sheets continues today,
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at a rate of about 1 to 2
millimetres every year.
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- Okay, so what's the big deal?
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NARRATOR: Tracking from the skies,
the satellites over New York
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find parts of the city are sinking
at a pace of 4mm a year -
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that means the Big Apple is
going down far faster than expected.
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But what is behind this
terrifying drop?
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What kind of forces can sink a city?
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Could this be caused by sinkholes?
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- Over the past decade,
we are seeing more and more of them
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across the world.
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And they're getting bigger,
deeper and a lot more dangerous.
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- Sinkholes tend to form in cities
for one of two reasons:
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either a section of a street
collapses
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because of a water main break or
an old pipe giving way or,
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you get changes to natural
water-drainage patterns.
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- In recent years, more and more
sinkholes have left enormous
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gaping pits in downtown Manhattan
- the middle of East 89th
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Street on the Upper East Side
and Riverside Drive on the
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Upper West Side being two examples
that happened only days apart.
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- It's believed that these
new multi-foot-deep
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depressions are the result
of the city's deeply outdated
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underground infrastructure, which
has an average age of 66 years.
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- And with 7,000 miles
worth of water mains,
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that's a lot of old pipes
posing silent threats.
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- So could the increasing size
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and frequency of sinkholes be
bringing down the city?
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- Unlikely.
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Deep and dangerous as they are,
these sinkholes alone are not
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enough to take down a city
the size of New York.
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- So what is
happening in New York City?
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NARRATOR: Perhaps there's
a clue in another sinking city
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almost 12,000 km away,
Shanghai, China.
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- China's most populated city has
dropped more than six feet
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since 1921.
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The result has been devastating
flooding in the city
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and getting worse every year.
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- The problem stems from Shanghai's
rapid 19th century growth,
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stretched to supply factories
and drinking water to a population
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that by 1900 had
tripled to more than one million.
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Groundwater that had supported
the Chinese trading port quickly
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became strained.
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- And it kept going.
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The problem got so bad by the 1950s
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and 1960s that the ground was
sinking by four inches a year!
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- The government took action in
1963,
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banning the overuse of wells
but the decline continued
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- by the mid-1960s the city had
sunk about 16 more inches.
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And it's only going to get worse!
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Official projections say water
levels could rise several
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inches by 2050,
threatening waterfront areas.
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NARRATOR: Could this be
happening to New York City?
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Is the Big Apple's drinking
causing its sinking?
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Is the loss of groundwater
the problem?
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- It's unlikely that this is
just a groundwater thing.
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Groundwater management has been
a part of New York City's
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infrastructure for decades
- between 1996 and 2007,
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the city transitioned
away from using any groundwater
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wells as part of their drinking
water supply.
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- So, if it's not water going out
maybe it's water coming in
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that's the problem?
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NARRATOR: The satellite
view over New York City,
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shows that the areas sinking
fastest are the edges of the city,
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where New York lies
less than 2 meters above sea level.
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- Could the rising sea levels be
pushing the city down?
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It's no secret that storms
and hurricanes have
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increased in ferocity in the past
decade with devastating results.
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- In 2012, Hurricane Sandy killed
more than 40 New Yorkers,
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destroyed approximately 300 homes,
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and left tens of thousands
of people without power.
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- In 2021, Hurricane Ida left
more than a dozen people dead in
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New York City, many after they were
unable to escape flooding basements.
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- In New York City, sea levels have
risen a foot over the last
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100 years - that's a rate
of about 1.2 inches per decade.
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- That may not seem like a large
increase, the implications are huge.
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Sea levels are expected to rise
anywhere from 8-30 inches
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by the 2050's.
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And as much as 15-75 inches
by the end of the century.
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NARRATOR: Are rising sea levels
destined to consume -
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and sink - New York City?
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- While rising sea levels are very
much a threat, a recent study
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of 99 coastal cities around the
world found that subsidence - the
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sinking of the ground - may pose a
bigger problem than sea-level rise.
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Why?
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Because most cities surveyed,
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the land is subsiding
faster than sea levels are rising.
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- So what's causing this
increase in subsidence?
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NARRATOR: Perhaps a clue lies
closer to home over 1000 km
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away in Chicago.
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- Scientists from Northwestern
University in Chicago have
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discovered that increased
temperatures underground is
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making Chicago's clay soil contract,
causing the Windy City to sink.
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- What they discovered is that the
heat escaping from basements
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and parking garages,
sewers, tunnels,
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other underground infrastructure is
actually shifting the landscape
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and its causing Chicago
to slowly - but definitively - sink.
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- Much of Chicago was
built on a glacial lakebed,
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which means very clay-ey soils.
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This type of soil can swell
when heated -
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causing buildings built on top it
to settle faster than normal.
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- The study showed that the
ground could swell
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something like 12 millimetres,
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and the structures could sink
something like 8 millimetres.
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And that may not
sound like very much but
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those small changes can be
devastating for buildings
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that are not designed for that
kind of movement.
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- Nobody talks about this,
but it's a real thing -
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scientists call it
'underground climate change.'
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- Could New York City be heating
itself to destruction?
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NARRATOR: In 2023, researchers from
the US Geological Survey
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and the University of Rhode Island
decided to investigate.
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- What the team studied were InSAR
satellite images collected from
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orbiting satellites that actually
map subsidence all across the city.
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- The results showed as expected,
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that all of New York City as a whole
is sinking 1 to 2 millimetres
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every year
because of post-glacial relaxation.
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But, and this is the big part-
they discovered that those
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parts of the city where big
buildings are built on fill
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and sediment are sinking faster,
up to 4 millimetres every year.
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- Could New York City
just be too heavy?!
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NARRATOR: To test this theory,
the scientists calculated
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the collective weight of more than a
million buildings in New York City.
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- They estimated that
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NYC's buildings collectively
weigh 1.68 trillion pounds -
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equivalent to roughly 1.9 million
fully fuelled Boeing 747s.
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- And, that's just the buildings!
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That's not the contents, the people,
the vehicles - all that other stuff!
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NARRATOR: To determine what
part of the cities were bearing
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the most weight,
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the scientists divided the city into
a grid of 100-by-100-meter squares.
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This allowed them
to calculate the downward pressure
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caused by the weight of the
buildings, across the whole city.
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- The research suggested that
indeed,
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the weight of buildings is causing
increased subsidence in those
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parts of the city vulnerable to this
immense pressure.
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- The skyscrapers
anchored to underlying bedrock
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in the upper parts of the city,
not much of a subsidence problem.
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But, the hundreds of buildings
sitting on spongy
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materials like clay and artificial
fill on the lower lying
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edges of the city those are very
prone to compression.
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- And it's important
to remember that this is
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happening in a city where
the sea level is
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projected to rise between 8 and 30
inches by 2050 - this extra sinking
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factor increases New York City's
vulnerability to coastal storms.
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- The likelihood of parts
of New York City eventually being
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permanently under water is
inevitable.
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The ground is going down,
and the water's coming up.
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At some point,
those two levels are gonna meet.
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- Because we have rising sea levels
and sinking
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buildings at the same time,
this means that coastal flooding
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is gonna happen a lot faster
than predicted by existing models.
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- It's a really scary projection -
but, thanks to what we now know,
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cities like New York can much
better plan and actually prepare
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for the long-term impact of sea
level rise and coastal subsidence.
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NARRATOR: Revealing these hidden
forces sinking New York City
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and other cities like it around the
world before its too late is
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only possible with a high
tech view from above.
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In the deep central Sahara,
in the African country of Niger,
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a view from above reveals
a sprawling, empty, ancient mystery.
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- What the heck is this place - it
looks like a giant ant colony!
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- It looks like a small,
fortified city -
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but slap
bang in the middle of nowhere!
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- And it looks totally empty!
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- Abandoned cities are not
unusual in the desert.
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- But most desert
settlements found in this
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part of Africa are simple
in their layout
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and scope - this one has fortified
walls, watchtowers and passageways.
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NARRATOR: This unusual site is
called the Ksars of Djado.
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Built between 800 to 1000 years ago,
the architects of this site
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have long been a mystery -
no one knows who built it.
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- It would have been
an enormous undertaking,
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it would have required you know,
a lot of elaborate planning,
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a lot of skill, a lot of time
to create what is a spectacular
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fortress in the heart of northern
Africa.
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- Why go to so much
trouble to create a massive walled
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fortress like this,
in the middle of nowhere?
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What was it meant to protect?
Why are the Ksars of Djado, here?
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NARRATOR: A clue to this mystery may
lie with another abandoned
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desert city almost 3000 km
away in the Golan Heights where
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a view from above reveals
the desert fortress of Nimrod.
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Like the Ksars of Djado, Nimrod
lies empty
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and silent - another walled city
left to crumble in the sand.
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- Dated as early as 30 CE, Nimrod
was built to guard a major access
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to Damascus, a key centre of trade
on the Trans-Saharan trade route.
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- The Trans-Saharan trade routes
connected the Mediterranean
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coast to the West African savannah
and the sub-Saharan region.
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- These routes were used
to transport a variety of goods,
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including gold, ivory, salt,
and slaves.
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00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,400
- It's impossible to overstate
the significance of these routes,
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in African history - really,
in world history.
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00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,400
They were also a major
source of cultural exchange -
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traders brought goods, ideas,
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00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,160
and technologies from one part
of the world to another, leading to
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00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,000
the spread of religions, languages,
and other cultural traditions.
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- One example of a technology that
was introduced to Africa
233
00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,920
through the Trans-Saharan trade
routes is the camel, which was
234
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,640
domesticated in the Middle East and
brought to Africa by Arab traders.
235
00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,600
- The camel was an invaluable
tool for trade and transport
236
00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,680
in the Sahara Desert, as it's
able to travel really long distances
237
00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:57,480
across the desert with minimal water
and can carry heavy loads.
238
00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,320
So the use of camels completely
revolutionizes trade
239
00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,480
and transport in the region and it
240
00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:07,600
also facilitated the growth
of the Trans-Saharan trade routes.
241
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,240
- At the peak of the caravan trade,
the average caravan was
242
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:18,400
made up of 1,000 camels and some
caravans were as large as 12,000!
243
00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,800
NARRATOR: Could this be
why Djado is here -
244
00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:25,200
built as a fortress to protect
a crucial trade route?
245
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,640
- It's possible, because Djado was
once smack in the middle of this
246
00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,960
complex network of trade routes all
across Africa and the Middle East.
247
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,840
- It's perfectly situated on this
busy route, the Ksars of Djado
248
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,680
would have thrived as a bustling
and prosperous centre of trade.
249
00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:47,000
- The city was so successful, it
swelled to be the biggest
250
00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,120
of its kind - it would have been
a jewel of commerce in the desert.
251
00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,600
- It's sorta like an early,
Saharan Las Vegas!
252
00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,360
- But, if the Ksars of Djado were
so big and so strong
253
00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,600
and so prosperous then why did
the city basically just disappear?
254
00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,600
NARRATOR: Could a closer look at
Nimrod from above reveal more clues?
255
00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,400
- We can see several structures
here that were clearly
256
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,200
created to defend
the city from attacking raiders.
257
00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,160
- And, Nimrod has a well documented
history rife with conflict
258
00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,800
and destruction, underlining
the reality that a city this rich,
259
00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,840
is a target for conquest.
260
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,520
- Nimrod withstood a lot of attacks,
261
00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,520
a lot of raids over the centuries,
but it was finally
262
00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:36,480
sacked for good when the Assyrian
empire fell to a coalition that was
263
00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:41,680
led by Babylonia and Medea at the
end of the seventh century BCE.
264
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,480
- Is that what happened to these
grand and wealthy Ksars of Djado?
265
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,840
NARRATOR: Perhaps there's a clue
almost 9000 km away,
266
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,040
in the Gobi Desert of
Western Inner Mongolia with another
267
00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,960
abandoned desert city, Khara-Khoto.
268
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:05,760
- Founded in 1032 CE as the capital
of the Western Xia Dynasty,
269
00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,000
this city was also
a thriving trade centre,
270
00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,720
located on an important
trade route through Asia.
271
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,480
- But, just like Nimrod,
272
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,400
the rich city caught
the eye of unfriendly invaders.
273
00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,920
It was captured
by Genghis Khan in 1226.
274
00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,960
- Khara-Khoto actually
flourished under Mongol rule.
275
00:17:27,120 --> 00:17:30,680
During Kubla Kahn's time, the city
expanded to 3 times its original
276
00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:35,400
size, and was even mentioned
by Marco Polo in his travel logs.
277
00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,200
- Under the Mongols, the people
were able to enjoy a peaceful
278
00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:40,960
existence for about 150 years,
and that's
279
00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:47,120
until the Ming dynasty turned up in
1372 and laid siege to the city.
280
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,640
- Now, no one knows exactly how
Khara-Khoto fell, but the most
281
00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:55,720
commonly accepted theory is that the
Ming rulers diverted the
282
00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,680
Ejin River, the city's only water
source, that flowed just outside
283
00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:04,760
the fortress thus denying the city's
troops and inhabitants water.
284
00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,920
- Is this what
happened to Ksars of Djado?
285
00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,840
Did an outside enemy wipe
out the people here?
286
00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:13,560
- It doesn't look like it.
287
00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,800
While the city was almost
attacked in the 18th
288
00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,680
and 19th century by all these
waves of nomadic raiders, it wasn't
289
00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,760
until the arrival of the French
military in 1923 that the
290
00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:29,160
Ksars of Djado
lost their independence.
291
00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,400
NARRATOR: If the people of the Ksars
of Djado were not starved out
292
00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:38,160
or killed by a foreign power,
why and how did they disappear?
293
00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:44,320
- How did this spectacular desert
city end up becoming a ghost town?
294
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,960
NARRATOR: An answer may be found
just over 1600 km away in Mali,
295
00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:56,000
home of the legendary Saharan city,
Timbuktu.
296
00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,680
- Once dubbed the 'city of gold'
Timbuktu was a prosperous
297
00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,240
commercial hub for the ivory,
salt and gold trades.
298
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,600
It was also,
a hub for the slave trade.
299
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,640
NARRATOR: Timbuktu is still
going today - but barely.
300
00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:16,400
- Timbuktu is struggling to survive
and it's this modern struggle that
301
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:21,880
holds a crucial clue to the downfall
of the ancient Ksars of Djado.
302
00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,640
- It's being eaten up by the desert.
303
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,600
- When it was built in the 5th
century BCE, Timbuktu,
304
00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,560
like Djado, thrived in a lush
liveable landscape.
305
00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:37,240
But now, the desert is moving in
and the city is
306
00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,280
suffering from rapid
desertification.
307
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,880
- Desertification is an increasingly
widespread problem as climate
308
00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:45,760
change modifies weather patterns,
309
00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,360
leaving people to deal with hyper
arid conditions.
310
00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,200
- The Sahara Desert is no exception
- scientists have observed
311
00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:56,480
that in the last century, the Saraha
has expanded by 10 percent.
312
00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,200
And the problem is especially
bad in Timbuktu - in Mali,
313
00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:06,400
the Sahara there is expanding
at a rate of 48 km every year!
314
00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:10,800
- So could a similar thing have
happened to Ksars of Djado?
315
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:13,600
- It's possible.
316
00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:17,480
These ruins are 800 to 1000 years
old - and that means that they
317
00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,120
were built at a time when this
part of the Sahara was much wetter.
318
00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,400
NARRATOR: And just like Timbuktu,
relentless desert swallowed Djado.
319
00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,360
- So it's very likely that what
pushed people to abandon
320
00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,360
Djado was the lack of a clean
water supply.
321
00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,320
You had this lush landscape,
and then it all turned into desert,
322
00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,760
and that environment was just
too harsh for humans.
323
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,680
- Djado was then pretty
much unlivable,
324
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,920
and by the early 1900s, it
was abandoned.
325
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,440
- The people are long gone
but the Ksars of Djado were
326
00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,200
so well constructed that the
abandonment of the city did
327
00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,840
not mean it was destroyed.
328
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,080
NARRATOR: Isolated from the outside
world and built to last,
329
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,520
the great Ksars of Djado
stand tall today.
330
00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,960
A long-forgotten ghost
city, its secrets
331
00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:13,400
uncovered by a view from above.
332
00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,760
On the densely forested slopes
of the eastern Peruvian Andes,
333
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,800
over 600 km north of Lima
334
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,000
a view from above reveals an ancient
wonder.
335
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,640
Sitting high
on the mountain ridge, 3000 meters
336
00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:36,520
above sea level, this mysterious
stone site is known as Kuelap.
337
00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,280
- Look at that wall!
338
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,800
NARRATOR: This epic structure
surrounds all of Kuelap with a
339
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:50,600
length of over 1000 meters - and, in
some places stands 20 meters tall.
340
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:54,200
- It's constructed from limestone
blocks -
341
00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:58,320
some with an estimated weight of 3
tons - that's as heavy as a hippo!
342
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,280
- That wall is on the scale
of a fortress - is this structure
343
00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:09,040
an abandoned military base or
the site of an old castle?
344
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,040
NARRATOR: Is Kuelap
the ruins of a fortified city?
345
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,480
- Even though it may look,
uh, as a defensive construction,
346
00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,520
we have to take into consideration
that there is no parapet.
347
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,480
- Okay so if there's no
parapet like you'd usually
348
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,600
see around a fortress -
what about that huge, long wall -
349
00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,760
isn't that also a classic
fortress feature?
350
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:36,880
- In some parts, the surrounding
wall is 20 meters high.
351
00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:38,760
In other parts it's only six.
352
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,680
NARRATOR: Some parts of the wall
are far too low to provide any
353
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,800
protection - and there's something
else missing at Kuelap,
354
00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:48,840
something crucial to survival.
355
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,920
- There's no water inside.
356
00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,880
Water has to be
brought from the springs that we
357
00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,920
have around Kuelap
or from the river.
358
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:03,200
So knowing that there is no water
reservoirs, no springs inside,
359
00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:08,880
we can completely disregard the idea
that Kuelap was a fortress.
360
00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,560
NARRATOR: So what is this place?
361
00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,960
A view from above reveals
a network of strange stone
362
00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:20,200
circles across Kuelap. Could these
mysterious rings provide any clues?
363
00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,600
- Did they hold water -
is this like an ancient spa?
364
00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,760
Or were they food storage
structures,
365
00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,640
like modern day farm silos?
366
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,000
- Those stone circles are really
intriguing-
367
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,360
maybe they have some
sort of ritual purpose?
368
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,320
NARRATOR: Perhaps clues
can be uncovered
369
00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:41,080
halfway across the world
at Mycenae in Greece,
370
00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,320
where a view from above reveals
another set
371
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,520
of mysterious stone circles.
372
00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:51,320
Excavations at Mycenae
revealed that these large stone
373
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,960
circles are grave sites.
374
00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:57,520
- Those circles contained
skeletons from the royal families -
375
00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,920
accompanied by a treasure
trove of their personal stuff.
376
00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,480
- So could the strange stone
circles at Kuelap have been
377
00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,800
part of a burial
site like we see at Mycenae?
378
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:10,760
Could they be tombs?
379
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,960
NARRATOR: Investigations at Kuelap
have uncovered a clue,
380
00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:16,600
human remains.
381
00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:23,240
- That is definitely related
to the importance to venerate
382
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:28,280
our grandfathers
and great-grandfathers even after
383
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,320
they have died a long time ago.
384
00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,360
- So if human bones were
found in these circles,
385
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,400
these must be the remains of tombs.
386
00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,000
NARRATOR: But a closer look at these
circles reveals something
387
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:42,840
unexpected.
388
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,680
- There's evidence of some
kind of wooden structure where
389
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,520
they could put the bed where
they slept
390
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,480
and also where
they can store other goods.
391
00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:01,480
Then we have the kitchen area
where the fire is located.
392
00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,440
- It's basically a multi-familiar
building that is a circular
393
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:10,240
construction that has a diameter
that can vary between five
394
00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:11,960
and 10 meters.
395
00:25:12,120 --> 00:25:16,960
There's some characteristics
that are always inside these huts.
396
00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:21,360
The tomb where they kept some
bones of their ancestors is usually
397
00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,680
located in the centre
of the building.
398
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,880
NARRATOR: There are more than 400 of
these multi-family houses in Kuelap.
399
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,640
- If we make the math
with the amount of people that can
400
00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:39,560
live in one of these huts,
we are talking about at its height,
401
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:46,160
a population of around 2,500 people
living in Kuelap.
402
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,840
- So if those circles were once
houses to a lot of people,
403
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,800
who were they?
404
00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,680
NARRATOR: A wider view
from above reveals another clue,
405
00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,520
a dramatic rectangular structure.
406
00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:04,520
- This one is the biggest building
in Kuelap. It's called a Kallanka.
407
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:09,360
It's a symbol of power of the Incas.
408
00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,040
- Finding the ruins of Kallanka
is like finding a giant sign
409
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:13,880
that says, 'The Inca were here'.
410
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:16,560
It's an unambiguous stamp that this
place was definitely
411
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,000
part of the Inca Empire.
412
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:22,520
NARRATOR: So did the Inca
build Kuelap?
413
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,640
- Kuelap isn't very far
from the world-famous Machu Picchu
414
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:29,360
which was built by the Inca - is
this another one of their creations?
415
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,480
- According to the radiocarbon
dating's that we have,
416
00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,160
Kuelap was built around 600 AD.
417
00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:42,520
- Machu Picchu is dated to almost
a 1000 years later than that -
418
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,000
so Kuelap was built
long before the Inca started up.
419
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,880
NARRATOR: But if the Inca aren't
behind this ancient site, who is?
420
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,160
- Kuelap
and all the settlements around were
421
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,360
built by the Chachapoya culture.
422
00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:01,800
Chachapoya is a generic
name that the Incas started
423
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,480
using for the people that
live in this huge
424
00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,160
area of approximately 200,000 square
kilometres.
425
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,960
- There's a lot of mystery
surrounding these people
426
00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:15,520
and their culture.
427
00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:20,000
- We know they thrived in a region
of Northern Peru from about 900
428
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:25,280
to 1400 CE, but they didn't have a
written language, so much
429
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:30,240
of what we know of them comes from
studying the ruins they left behind.
430
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,480
- But, wait,
if the Chachapoya built Kuelap,
431
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,960
then what's with all
the Inca stuff here?
432
00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:42,240
NARRATOR: From 1438 to 1533
the Incan Empire grew rapidly -
433
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,360
becoming the largest empire ever
seen in the Americas.
434
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,920
As they expanded north through Peru,
the Inca conquered Kuelap
435
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,600
and ruled over the Chachapoya
people.
436
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:59,240
But around the mid 16th century,
Kuelap was suddenly abandoned.
437
00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,320
- Why would the mighty
Inca Empire go to all
438
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,120
the trouble of conquering
this place,
439
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,520
putting up all these buildings
and then just abandon Kuelap?
440
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,080
NARRATOR: Perhaps there's a clue
more than 12,000 kilometres
441
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,880
away near the Sea of Galilee,
with another abandoned city - Gamla.
442
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:24,360
- Gamla has plenty in common with
Kuelap - a defensive stone wall,
443
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:29,480
residential housing and dedicated
space for rituals and celebration.
444
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:34,320
NARRATOR: Like Kuelap, Gamla was
a thriving city but in the 1st
445
00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:38,480
century Roman soldiers attacked,
leaving destruction in their wake.
446
00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,560
- Was Kuelap abandoned
because it was invaded?
447
00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,480
- Is this what led to Kuelap's
abandonment?
448
00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,120
- That's exactly what happened here.
449
00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,240
In the mid-1500's,
the Spanish conquered the area
450
00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:57,200
and ended the Inca's
70-year reign in Kuelap.
451
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,400
NARRATOR: The conquered Inca
and Chachapoya were rounded up
452
00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:02,640
and Kuelap was abandoned.
453
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,880
Since then -
Kuelap has stood frozen in time,
454
00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,040
an ancient testament to a once
mighty city.
455
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,120
But now - the view
from above reveals Kuelap has a more
456
00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,040
modern mystery to be solved.
457
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,000
- One of the mysteries
of La Fortaleza de Kuelap is
458
00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:22,560
the collapse of the southern
perimeter wall in 2022.
459
00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:24,840
NARRATOR: A huge
stretch of this giant wall,
460
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,320
almost 30 metres long -
simply gave out.
461
00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:33,080
- People immediately began to ask
if this monument is a thousand
462
00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:38,040
years old and has withstood time,
why is it falling down now?
463
00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,920
NARRATOR: What modern phenomena
could be causing this
464
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:42,920
kind of damage to the wall?
465
00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:47,160
- Is Kuelap a victim of natural
forces?
466
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,920
NARRATOR: Peru is
located in the Ring of Fire -
467
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:54,560
where more than 80% of the world's
largest earthquakes occur.
468
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,160
- The ring of fire is this giant
belt that wraps around the
469
00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:00,520
Pacific ocean where lots of our
planet's tectonic plates meet.
470
00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:02,320
When they slip beneath each other,
471
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,720
that's when you get all
kinds of earthquakes.
472
00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,840
NARRATOR: Two earthquakes did
hit the region in 2022 -
473
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,800
but neither were strong enough
to cause this level of destruction.
474
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,480
- So we can cross earthquake
damage off the list.
475
00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:21,160
Why else would the wall at Kuelap
come down so quickly -
476
00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:26,160
especially after standing
strong for centuries?
477
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,720
NARRATOR: Perhaps,
the collapse of the wall was caused
478
00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:34,320
not by outside forces,
but instead, forces within.
479
00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,320
- We have elements here,
480
00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:40,680
some clues to solve the mystery of
the history of the collapses here.
481
00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,600
Water has
accumulated behind this wall,
482
00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:49,640
it's been turned a little bit
into a dam, and this interior core
483
00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,400
made of mud and stone, has gone from
solid to be a little more plastic.
484
00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:59,560
And it's sitting on a sloping
terrain. So it begins pushing down.
485
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,400
And the perimeter wall,
however solid
486
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:07,040
and massive it is, cannot hold
the weight of this plastic core.
487
00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:09,240
And this is how
the collapse has happened.
488
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,880
We have solved one mystery.
489
00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,600
Now we have confirmed that water
infiltration is the ultimate
490
00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,680
cause of the collapse
of the perimeter walls.
491
00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:24,720
But obviously,
another mystery remains. Why now?
492
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:26,840
- What could possibly cause this
wall,
493
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,520
that's stood strong for about a 1000
years, to just start crumbling?
494
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,080
NARRATOR: Scientists believe
the cause of this problem
495
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:35,880
comes from above.
496
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,920
- Because of the great amount
of precipitation in this area,
497
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:49,640
one of the main theories is
the infiltration of rainwater.
498
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,400
- Rain? That is the culprit?
499
00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:56,440
I can see how an earthquake might
cause damage like this, but rain!
500
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,560
Is it really that powerful?
501
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,880
- The rainy season here is very
heavy,
502
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,160
perhaps up to 3000 millimetres
a year.
503
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,760
NARRATOR: But why now,
after 1000 years,
504
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,280
is rain such a threat to the wall -
and all of Kuelap?
505
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,120
- So, we use data from some
weather stations
506
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:23,360
and mostly satellites to reconstruct
the patterns of precipitation
507
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,400
for the last four decades.
508
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,240
And that was a real discovery.
509
00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:31,320
The precipitation has been
growing over time,
510
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:36,400
it's about 4% higher today than it
was in the 1980s.
511
00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,920
And out of seven historically
high precipitation
512
00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:45,000
months in those 40 years, four
occurred in the last five years.
513
00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,760
So there is an increasing trend,
514
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:50,920
and that is becoming more
critical in the last few years.
515
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,160
NARRATOR: One year after
the collapse of the wall,
516
00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:00,640
Peru is experiencing what's called
a Coastal El Nino, a weather
517
00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:05,360
event that's expected to bring more
torrential rain to the area.
518
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,200
- The amount of water that
it's receiving today,
519
00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:12,400
due to climate change,
may be exceeding its capabilities.
520
00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,440
NARRATOR: Recent satellite imagery
has revealed that the surface
521
00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:20,800
water off the coast of Peru is
about 6 degrees higher than normal.
522
00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,160
- When you've got warm water
like this, it adds heat to the air,
523
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,520
which means it can hold more water,
which means bigger rainfall.
524
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:33,000
- And bigger rainfall
means more water is
525
00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,600
getting into the core
of Kuelap's wall.
526
00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:37,880
- If we don't mitigate
the infiltration,
527
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:41,440
the core is going to become plastic
and push the perimeter walls
528
00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,880
out, and the whole monument
is going to collapse.
529
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,120
- It's a race against the clock
- can you figure out
530
00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:54,080
how to protect the site before the
next round of catastrophic rain.
531
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:59,040
- It would be such a tragedy
if the site of Kuelap washed away -
532
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,920
there is so much history and still
so much to be discovered there.
533
00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,240
NARRATOR: Scientists are determined
to preserve this magnificent
534
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,640
city - and thanks to their research,
they now know what needs to be done.
535
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,880
- We should be mitigating
the infiltration.
536
00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:17,840
And when that has stabilized,
537
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,280
then we can reconstruct
the perimeter walls.
538
00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:22,840
With the goal of preserving
this for future generations,
539
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,560
for everyone to enjoy.
540
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:28,160
NARRATOR: A mystery solved -
and a discovery that could
541
00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:32,320
help save an ancient city
all with a view from above.
542
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,080
High over the arid plains
of Northern China, in the remote
543
00:34:40,240 --> 00:34:45,200
desert of Inner Mongolia a view from
above reveals something unexpected.
544
00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:53,360
- It looks utterly abandoned
- what happened here?
545
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:58,280
- It's totally empty!
Where did everyone go?
546
00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,760
- It totally looks like something
out of a science fiction movie!
547
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:05,280
NARRATOR: The official name
of the city is 'Kangbashi New Town'
548
00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:10,000
but it's often referred to by the
area in which it's built - Ordos.
549
00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,440
The story of Ordos
begins in the early 2000's
550
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:16,280
when the Chinese
government began to build
551
00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:21,120
the city in the Ordos Desert,
spending one billion dollars.
552
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,840
- Ordos was designed to provide
everything a modern city
553
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,040
could possibly need or desire,
554
00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:31,080
all for a population of at least
a million people.
555
00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:35,600
- So where are they?
Where are all the people?
556
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:39,920
- It looks apocalyptic - like,
something just wiped everyone out!
557
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:44,240
- Was this city emptied by a sudden,
massive disaster?
558
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,920
NARRATOR: Perhaps a clue can be
found more than 6000 km
559
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:53,000
away in Ukraine, home to one of the
biggest disasters in modern times.
560
00:35:54,720 --> 00:35:59,360
- On April 25 and 26, 1986,
a faulty Soviet
561
00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,960
reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear
power plant exploded.
562
00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,320
NARRATOR: As the radiation
spread through the air,
563
00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,560
it covered more than 40% of Europe.
564
00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,840
- Today, almost forty years later,
there is still a 30 kilometre
565
00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,360
'exclusion zone' around the plant
- scientists estimate this
566
00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:24,720
zone around Chernobyl will not be
habitable for up to 20,000 years.
567
00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:31,400
- It looks eerily similar to Ordos
all these empty buildings,
568
00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,680
sort of frozen in time and empty.
569
00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,400
- Did a similar disaster
happen to Ordos?
570
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,280
- No records exist that Ordos
suffered
571
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,720
anything like Chernobyl - the city
isn't a designated danger zone
572
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,920
and is actually perfectly
safe to live in.
573
00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:51,560
- In fact,
the region is quite prosperous.
574
00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:53,720
I mean yes,
it's essentially a desert,
575
00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:58,320
but the landscape is rich
in resources - particularly, coal.
576
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:00,760
- And that's why Ordos was built
here.
577
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,480
A coal boom in the early 2000's
compelled the local
578
00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:06,320
government to splurge on this
new development.
579
00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:10,320
- So, if Ordos is considered
a completely safe place to live
580
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:16,280
and it was supported by a rich
industry, why is it empty?
581
00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:20,280
NARRATOR: There may be a clue
far to the southwest in Namibia,
582
00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:22,840
in another abandoned desert city.
583
00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,360
- Once a prosperous diamond mining
town, Kolmanskop was abandoned
584
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:32,320
when the diamonds ran out and better
resources were found elsewhere.
585
00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:35,560
- And ever since, the fast-moving
Namibian Desert has been
586
00:37:35,720 --> 00:37:39,400
closing in and literally,
swallowing up the town.
587
00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,320
- Satellite observations
found that the average rate at which
588
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:47,560
the dunes in this area moved
ranged from 7 to 32 meters per year!
589
00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:50,400
- The Kolmanskop is not alone.
590
00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:54,760
The Namibian desert has been
swallowing more than just the towns.
591
00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:57,760
NARRATOR: One of the most famous
examples of the desert's power to
592
00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,080
consume, can be found over 400
kilometres away,
593
00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:03,360
on Namibia's Skeleton Coast.
594
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:10,520
- The waters off this place are
famous for their strong currents,
595
00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:15,640
dense fogs, and treacherous sand
banks that constantly move.
596
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:17,960
These extreme climatic conditions
597
00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:21,480
when combined with strong
sandstorms have been considered
598
00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:26,080
the cause of the sinking
of over a thousand ships.
599
00:38:26,240 --> 00:38:29,680
NARRATOR: The eerie remnants
of long-lost ships and stranded
600
00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:33,360
sea creatures lies scattered
across this desolate landscape.
601
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,960
- Is something like this
happening to Ordos?
602
00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:41,400
- Is Ordos being buried by sand?
603
00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:44,400
NARRATOR: A view from above shows
that Ordos is on the edge
604
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:50,880
of the Gobi Desert - the fastest
growing desert in the world.
605
00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,560
- Between 1975 and 2017,
606
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:59,720
China's deserts expanded by an
astonishing 21,000 square miles.
607
00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:05,360
- That's equivalent to more
than 10 million football fields!
608
00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:08,120
- The catalyst for this is
deforestation.
609
00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:11,880
All the upheaval and removal
of huge, ancient roots means the
610
00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:17,240
soil isn't held together and is more
vulnerable to natural wind erosion.
611
00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,360
- China has tried planting trees to
hold back the desert with a 'Green
612
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:24,920
Great Wall' but a fifth of the trees
planted so far have been planted
613
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:29,480
in places they don't naturally grow,
so they've already died.
614
00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:34,760
- So is the fast-approaching desert
what forced people to flee the city?
615
00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,280
NARRATOR: But a view from above
reveals massive reservoirs
616
00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:41,880
supplying Ordos City.
617
00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:44,960
- So while there's no question
the desert is expanding,
618
00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,680
between the solid, modern buildings
and the giant reservoirs,
619
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,560
it's unlikely that people would
think the approaching desert
620
00:39:51,720 --> 00:39:52,920
was a problem.
621
00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:54,760
NARRATOR: So if people didn't flee
622
00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:59,240
because they feared being
swallowed up by the desert then why?
623
00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:04,240
What turned the massive
city of Ordos into a ghost town?
624
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:07,840
- It doesn't appear that the
city was abandoned
625
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:12,320
because of some kind of disaster
- man-made or natural.
626
00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:14,680
- So where is everybody?
627
00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:18,200
NARRATOR: Perhaps an answer to this
mystery lies more than 1000 km
628
00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,280
away,
in another strange city in China.
629
00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,160
- Oh that is bizarre!
I mean just look at that!
630
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,520
I mean it's a total
replica of an English town -
631
00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:36,560
complete with pubs
and old-time English architecture.
632
00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:40,560
- This just gets weirder and
weirder.
633
00:40:40,720 --> 00:40:42,560
NARRATOR: This is Thames Town.
634
00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:46,400
Created in 2006, the town was
meant to be home for the thousands
635
00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:51,080
of people who live
and work at nearby universities.
636
00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:56,920
- The city was expensive to build -
an estimated 635 million dollars.
637
00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:00,480
And, expensive to live in.
Too much so, in fact.
638
00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:04,240
- Thames Town was almost
as expensive to live in as London
639
00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:07,880
itself, now that is saying
something!
640
00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:09,640
- It's bonkers. Really!
641
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,160
I mean, how much money did
they think people who live
642
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:14,720
and work at Universities make?!
- In the end,
643
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:19,000
the government only managed to get
a few thousand people to live there.
644
00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:22,280
NARRATOR: And Thamestown is not
the only time this happened -
645
00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,360
another city
built to look like Paris, France,
646
00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:29,480
also failed because no one could
afford to live there.
647
00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,160
- So, is this what happened to
Ordos?
648
00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,760
Is this massive city virtually empty
649
00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:38,480
because no one has enough
money to survive there?
650
00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:41,040
- I think we're getting warmer.
651
00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:45,000
It cost well over a billion
dollars to build Ordos.
652
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:48,880
That meant developers needed high
real estate prices to get
653
00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:50,920
a return on their investment.
654
00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:54,360
- But, people didn't sign
up in droves the way the builders
655
00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:55,880
thought they would.
656
00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:58,760
- So, the developers were forced
to scale back plans for a population
657
00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:03,640
of 1 million people but the actual
population only reached 100,000.
658
00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,960
- And so you have what,
100,000 people being asked to make
659
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:10,480
up the shortfall so developers
could recoup their losses?
660
00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:12,280
Not a great plan -
661
00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:15,800
This drove the prices
of everything through the roof.
662
00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:18,480
NARRATOR: And it
got worse - at one point,
663
00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:22,680
property prices plunged so badly
that many developers went bankrupt.
664
00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:28,680
- The Ordos project essentially
fell flat on its face.
665
00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:31,680
They just couldn't get enough people
living there to sustain it.
666
00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:35,280
- Looking over the city,
667
00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:39,440
it's easy to see why the unfinished
houses and the vast, empty,
668
00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:44,480
dusty blocks of a city with insanely
expensive real estate and
669
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:50,480
impossible cost of living, didn't
exactly attract droves of families.
670
00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,760
- The one thing that did make
a difference was education.
671
00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:57,160
Over the past several years China
has worked hard to make Ordos
672
00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:58,320
more attractive.
673
00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,000
The most successful of these efforts
was bringing in good schools.
674
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:05,400
- Education is highly
valued in China and the promise
675
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:10,640
of access to good schools has
started to lure families to Ordos.
676
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,120
- Slowly, the city is coming back
but it is still
677
00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:18,760
nowhere near the epic metropolis it
was designed to be.
678
00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:24,320
- Ordos is the ultimate lesson in
arrogance and greed in the desert.
679
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:29,200
NARRATOR: An epic urban folly,
revealed only by a view from above.
680
00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:36,800
From a modern metropolis
dangerously close to the edge,
681
00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:41,360
to an ancient walled city in the
clouds, to a mysterious desert
682
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:46,880
city losing the battle with nature
and an abandoned urban disaster.
683
00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:49,320
Mysteries of these great
cities clearly
684
00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:53,320
uncovered with a view from above.
685
00:43:56,360 --> 00:44:00,080
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