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A blue chalk line – heralded as the largest art work ever commissioned in the UK – has begun weaving its way around Bristol's streets to raise awareness of what could happen if global warming goes unchecked.
The HighWaterLine project is designed to show which parts of the city are at risk of disappearing under water if sea levels rise and more extreme weather batters the coast of England's west country.
Over the next fortnight, hundreds of residents are expected take to the streets to create the 32-mile line, which aims to show what could be lost.
The concept was dreamed up by US artist Eve Mosher, who marked out a similar high water line in New York. Last year, Miami residents also created a 26-mile line highlighting the historic buildings they believe are at risk.
Families joining the HighWaterLine project in Miami, Florida. Photograph: Jayme Gershen/Invisible Dust
Bristol has been chosen as it is regarded as a vulnerable place for flooding because of its proximity to the Bristol Channel, which has the world's second-highest tidal range.
Those behind the project accept the line is not precise and does not necessarily represent one huge deluge, but it highlights the areas at risk of flooding. They have used data from the Environment Agency and Bristol city council and have worked with Bristol University's school of geography to try to make sure the artwork is backed by science.
The project has been commissioned by art organisation Invisible Dust, which works with artists on environmental issues. Over the last six months it has run workshops and talks about the risks the city faces and what could be done to mitigate them.
A man chalks a line through Miami that shows what would happen if sea levels rose by 3ft. Photograph: Jayme Gershen/Invisible Dust
Isobel Tarr, project manager at Invisible Dust, said: "It's been wonderful to see people from all parts of the city come together and start conversations about positive solutions to this problem so that Bristol can be a more resilient city in the face of change."
Mosher's original HighWaterLine involved the artist herself marking out a line 10ft (3m) above sea level around the coast of New York City.
When subsequently parts of the route were flooded after hurricane Sandy in October 2012, people began to see her work as an innovative way to visualise the future impacts of climate change.
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