The reason people build cities at sea level or river level or in swamps is because they don't respect God, and don't believe in his power to sweep away their precious homes if they build them in flood plains or along coasts or on small islands where he can easily get to them just by causing a hurricane or an iceberg melting.
The exact opposite is true. The reason people build at sea or river levels is that they love all the beauty and gifts God has bestowed on us and wish to enjoy and benefit from it as much as possible during their brief stay here on earth. If sometimes that causes some inconvenience, well, that's the price we are willing to pay.