Buildings in Dubai to have green roofs

BY PMA RASHEED
The Gulf Today, 6 Nov 2008

ALL BUILDINGS of Dubai will have natural plants in an effort to reduce carbon emission in the emirate, informed Dubai Municipality (DM) officials.
The project will protect the environment, reducing the heat level and cleansing the air from other pollutants.
The authorities plan to green the heads of buildings with plants, initiating “Green Roof” project, which is aimed at enhancing indoor environments and air of the city. The drive will also help to boost the health of the society and increase life expectancy of the buildings through protecting the eco system.
Hussain Nasser Lootah, acting director general of DM, said: the Municipality has launched the initiative in line with the law on the application of green building specifications in Dubai. It will be officially issued in mid-December under the directives of the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
He added: “The drive will be applied on the roofs of the Municipality buildings to gauge its positive impacts on them. Our target is to transform the roofs of all buildings and houses in Dubai to cultivated space, where the water dropped out of air-conditioners should be used for irrigation of plants.”
He pointed out, “The project comes as an implementation and follow up of the Green Buildings project, catering to the huge urban expansion witnessed by the city of Dubai, which enhancing the heat level of the region. Green roofs are considered to be one of the environment friendly solutions taken up by DM to face the project expansions.”
The DM has conducted studies to confirm the success of the project in other countries. Suitable plants have also been chosen in addition to beautiful designs for the project, coordinating with the public parks and horticulture department.
Lootah continued: “The DM will issue a special booklet with guidelines to Dubai residents in order to implement the project. A consultative study, as part of the Green Buildings la, has defined the per capita electricity and water consumption in the city. Residents will also be educated on the importance of economic consumption of electricity and water. In addition, building consultants will be directed to take into consideration the environment aspects while designing their buildings.”
He added: “DM has applied certain green building criteria related to the rationalised use of power, enhancing the indoor atmosphere of the building, defining the level of lighting.”
The Green Buildings project will be implemented in three phases, which starts this year, and continued with a mid-term plan-2009-2012 and long-term phases.