The phrase “10 countries 8217” sets the stage for a whirlwind tour of the planet’s most extravagant, yet utterly useless, mega‑projects. From towering sea walls that promise safety while sparking controversy, to subway‑like trains that trundle through ancient jungles, each entry on this list showcases a dazzling blend of ambition, money, and, frankly, mis‑calculation.
10 Japan’s Great Tsunami Walls
Irish Times contributor David McNeill recounts the 2011 under‑sea quake that birthed towering waves and devastated the tiny coastal town of Koizumi, where four lives were lost and nearly every one of the 1,800 residents was swept away.
In the wake of that tragedy, officials pledged a sweeping network of sea walls and breakwaters to shield the three hardest‑hit prefectures, allocating a staggering €6 billion. The plan would eventually blanket Japan’s 8,699‑mile (14,000‑km) coastline, offering a veneer of protection for millions of residents along a 21,748‑mile (35,000‑km) shore.
Yet the grand scheme attracted sharp criticism. Detractors argued that past attempts produced mixed outcomes, warning that such barriers might lull communities into a false sense of security, a fear voiced by Hiroko Otsuka, who grew up near Koizumi.
Otsuka’s anguish stems from personal loss: her mother and brother perished in the 2011 flood. She believes that, had they fled to a hilltop instead of seeking refuge behind the wall, they might have survived. Her story underscores a growing chorus urging a rethink of massive tsunami‑defence projects.
9 Spain’s Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences
Valencia’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences was billed as a magnet for tourists, yet it has drained €7.5 billion without delivering the promised visitor surge. Feargus O’Sullivan bluntly calls it “the gift that keeps on taking”.
The complex’s initial price tag ballooned to €1 billion before its 2005 debut, and the government has since poured an additional €4.5 billion bailout into the region, plus costly repairs to the opera house. The metal shell’s façade flexes with Valencia’s daily temperature swings, causing the structure to buckle.
In 2014 inspectors discovered that the thousand‑tiny mosaic‑like tiles clinging to the metal sheets needed removal, a task estimated at another €3 million. Architect Santiago Calatrava blames poor construction, not design, while O’Sullivan points to a litany of issues—failed projects, kickbacks, and an unnecessary nearby airport.
8 Saudi Arabia’s Farming Boondoggle
Charles J. Hanley of the New York Times notes that Saudi Arabia once touted agriculture as a “spectacular achievement,” yet the reality has been a costly charade. The kingdom poured $13 billion into overpriced crops, dumping mountains of grain in the desert to masquerade as a wheat‑exporting oil state.
While the nation can easily replace the squandered cash, water remains the insurmountable obstacle. The desert farms have been abandoned, and proposals to shift to cattle face the hurdle of providing “green feed” for livestock. Agriculture Minister Abdullah bin Moammar admits the venture could spiral out of control.
7 Germany’s Renewable Energy Boondoggle
In 2002, Germany announced a phase‑out of nuclear power, a move chronicled by Rick Mills. By 2010, Chancellor Angela Merkel was forced to extend reactor operations, fearing renewable sources alone couldn’t meet demand.
The nation slashed electricity availability by 40% overnight while aiming for full renewable reliance by 2022. Yet, as plants shuttered, energy prices surged, and the $16 billion green push faltered, compelling Germany to fall back on coal and nuclear power.
6 England’s Car Parks
England has sunk millions of pounds into parking garages and surface lots that sit largely empty. The British Parking Association estimates between 17,000 and 20,000 such facilities nationwide.
Some sites, like Abbey Walk in North East Lincolnshire, have become hotspots for anti‑social behaviour, prompting a £1.54 million refurbishment request. Communities hope to repurpose these underused spaces into shopping, cultural, or office hubs, but the rise of e‑commerce and out‑of‑town retail parks casts doubt on the profitability of such conversions.
5 Mexico’s Mayan Train
Critics warn that Mexico’s $20 billion Mayan Train, championed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, could become a disaster. The 900‑mile (1,448‑km) line is meant to showcase Indigenous heritage and lure tourists through southeastern Mexico.
The route threads through the 3,000‑square‑mile (4,828‑km) Calakmul biosphere reserve, home to the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul. Amid a prolonged drought, plans to deliver 8,000 daily tourists raise concerns, even as the government promises a new aqueduct.
Indigenous groups and conservationists label the project an “act of war,” fearing ecological devastation, unsustainable development, and further marginalisation of local communities. Rather than honoring Indigenous peoples, the train appears to alienate them.
4 China’s Three Gorges Dam
Chinese officials ignored scientific warnings and forged ahead with the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydro‑electric project, at a cost of $24 billion. Only after completion did they acknowledge predictions of landslides and ecosystem disruption.
Promoted as a massive renewable power source capable of generating 18,000 MW, the dam has instead triggered less rain, drought, and heightened disease risk, according to tropical‑medicine expert George Davis. In June 2003, a rock slide claimed fourteen lives, and subsequent landslides have buried buses and killed at least thirty more.
Scientists fear the worst may still be ahead, as the dam continues to reshape the region’s environment and threaten millions downstream.
3 Canada’s 407 Express Toll Road
Canada’s infrastructure saga includes the 407 Express Toll Road, a project Benjamin Hunting describes as a “bridge too far.” Construction began in 1987, finishing in 2001 at a headline cost of $3.1 billion, later slashed to $1.6 million after a private consortium leased the road for 99 years.
The lease omitted the $100 billion paid to expropriate the land. Toll hikes drove many truckers onto the congested Highway 401, turning a congestion‑relief road into a traffic nightmare. In 2019, SNC‑Lavalin sold 10.1% of its holdings for $3.25 billion, valuing the entire operation at $30 billion—ten times the government’s original price.
Thus, a project meant to streamline travel now burdens drivers and taxpayers alike.
2 USA’s Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository
The Yucca Mountain Repository in Nevada has ballooned to a $38 billion price tag, encompassing construction costs and decades of political wrangling. Situated near Mercury, Nevada—just a hundred miles from Las Vegas—the site is slated to store 88,000 tons of nuclear waste from the nation’s 80 reactors.
A five‑mile (8‑km) tunnel, begun in 1987 at $19 billion, delves deep into the mountain, yet opposition persists. Scientists warn that leaching could contaminate groundwater, threatening local farms, while DOE official William Boyle assures the risk is “manageable.” Senator Catherine Cortez Masto highlighted that waste‑laden rail cars would traverse the heart of Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, waste piles up nationwide, underscoring a failure to secure long‑term storage for material that remains hazardous for millennia.
1 Australia’s Submarine Purchase
In 2011, Australia’s Turnbull Government signed a $50 billion deal for twelve French Shortfin Barracuda submarines. John Menadue notes the purchase occurred in a near‑competition‑free environment, with a ban on overseas suppliers, inflating costs.
Strategically, the subs were intended for South China Sea operations alongside U.S. vessels, confronting Chinese nuclear‑powered submarines. Critics argue that conventionally powered French subs lack deterrence against nuclear rivals and question whether the U.S. would cooperate with Australia’s fleet.
Menadue concludes the over‑priced acquisition proved detrimental to policy, the navy, taxpayers, and Australia’s future defence posture.