Look: 22 million-sqm of greenery blooms in Sharjah

Green areas in the emirates have been growing at a rate of 12% yearly, which contributes to purifying the air and addressing climate change challenges

Sahim Salim

Published: Wed 4 Oct 2023, 12:21 PM

Last updated: Thu 16 Nov 2023, 1:16 PM

Sharjah city is greened by over 22 million square metres of gardens, grass cover and trees, the emirate’s municipality has announced. Green areas in the city has been growing at a rate of 12 per cent annually, “which contributes to purifying the air and addressing the challenges of climate change”, the civic body said in a statement on Wednesday.

Recycled materials have been used in several projects, including a garden and a library.

Advertising

Additionally, street signs have been made from discarded tyres.

The municipality will use “advanced systems for smart irrigation management to reduce water waste”, a top official said.

“These systems will monitor and improve the use of irrigation water in green spaces, gardens and systems … reducing wastage,” said Obaid Saeed Al Tunaiji, director-general of Sharjah City Municipality.

The civic body manages 68 gardens in Sharjah. As many as 17 million flowers were produced in the municipal nurseries in 2022.

Water treatment

Al Tunaiji said one of the sustainable initiatives adopted by the authority is the management and development of wastewater facilities. This helps produce high-quality treated water and organic fertilisers from the sludge resulting from treatment operations and agricultural wastes.

Sharjah produces more than 72 million cubic metres of treated water annually, and the municipality runs a number of wastewater treatment plants. The treated water plants meet the irrigation needs of the agricultural projects in the emirate, enhancing the green profile of the emirate.

In 2022, 78,000 tonnes of fertiliser were produced in the factory run by the Sharjah City Municipality.

default

This year, the municipality launched its organic fertiliser production unit that converts sewage sludge into high-quality fertilisers.

Renewable energy initiatives

The Sharjah Municipality has converted a “large number” of billboards to power them with solar energy. The municipality also uses the power of the sun to light up a number of parks in the city.

The civic body has also been using Adblue technology in its vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.

ALSO READ: