The world's first eco-region in Libya

NewScientist describes in a post called 'Norman Foster to design Libyan 'eco-region'' how Norman Foster group is involved in plans to develop the world's first eco-region in Libya - the 550,000-hectare site of desert and forest that stretches inland from the Mediterranean coast of Libya is to be developed into the world’s largest sustainable area:

Over the next year, the group will firm up regional plans to create a national park, a renewable energy infrastructure, a public transportation infrastructure fuelled by biofuels, sustainable agriculture irrigated through desalination plants, and an eco-tourism resort. The latter could, according to some preliminary plans, have buildings built into the side of mountains to minimise their visual impact and take advantage of the stone's insulating properties.

The project is still very much at the visionary stage. "Until the regional plan is finished by Fosters, we cannot say anything for sure," says Anthony Kleanthous, a spokesman for the Green Mountains project.

"But the idea is to show how these things are not just applicable to the Green Mountains. [Fosters] are trying to build a model that can be built elsewhere – not just in Libya, but also in other African countries," he adds.

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