Talk Content:
As coastal cities grapple with rising sea levels, urban farmer Christopher Leow set out to explore an unconventional solution: growing food on and under water. Featured in Channel NewsAsia’s documentary Growing Wild, Christopher traveled globally to learn from experts in saline agriculture, floating farming, and aquaculture. His goal? To adapt these techniques for urban resilience.
Teaming up with a group of students, he spearheaded the design and construction of a floating farm prototype off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia. This innovative system combines integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA)—a method that cultivates complementary species such as fish, seaweed, and shellfish—with above-water crop production. The project tested the viability of sustainable food systems in challenging marine environments.
In this talk, Christopher shares key lessons from the initiative: the complexities of balancing ecological design with engineering, the challenges of working in dynamic coastal conditions, and the unexpected insights gained from collaborating across disciplines. He’ll also reflect on how such prototypes could shape the future of urban food security in an era of climate uncertainty.
Watch the Series: Growing Wild
