About one million square metres of beachfront areas and eight million square metres of green spaces will be added in Dubai with multiple projects approved on Saturday.
This came as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, reviewed the Dubai Municipality’s environmental and sustainability projects being developed at a cost of Dh6.6 billion. “We are continuing to develop our city and our quality of life, as we continue building our future,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “Providing a clean environment is at the heart of our efforts to advance development and provide a high quality of life both now and in the future. We have adopted global best practices and implemented innovative projects to preserve our environment and protect the health and safety of people in the UAE.” He said the UAE is committed to implementing innovative projects that optimise use of resources and solve critical challenges as part of the country’s strategy to ensure environmental sustainability. “A key element in the UAE’s development model, environmental sustainability is reflected in all initiatives and projects launched by government entities, independently or in partnership with the private sector,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “Sustainability is key to the UAE’s future readiness.”
- Sun, sand and fun: A Dh500-million project will see over 12km of beach-line added in Dubai in phases. The first phase will see 4.2km of beach-line extend from Al Mamzar Creek beach to Al Mamzar Corniche; while the second covers 2.15km from Jumeirah Beach to Al Shorouq. The third phase will add 6km of beach-line in Umm Suqeim 1 and 2. The project aims to revitalise the beachfront and increase swimming areas. Dedicated areas for water activities and jogging and cycling tracks will be provided as part of the overall plan to promote a fitness culture and healthy lifestyle among the city’s residents.
- An open garden: Sheikh Mohammed reviewed a project to develop the first open garden on Al Mamzar Creek that is part of the Dh2 billion Green Dubai Project. To be implemented over a four-year period from 2021 to 2024, the project is set to add 8 million square metres of green spaces. It is part of a broader plan to expand the city’s green spaces, increase the percentage of green areas in development projects and raise Dubai’s global ranking in this area.
- Preserving biodiversity: The Dubai Ruler was also briefed on the Dh100 million Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary development project, which seeks to enhance the sanctuary’s ecosystem and biodiversity. The project will increase wetlands by 20 hectares and expand green cover by planting mangrove trees in a 100-hectare area. Service facilities and entertainment amenities will also be built.
- Environment-friendly waste processing: Sheikh Mohammed reviewed a project to build the Dubai Centre for Waste Processing in the Warsan area. The Dh4 billion plant — one of the largest in the world in terms of waste processing capacity — will operate without any negative impact on the environment. It is capable of processing 5,666 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day and 1.9 million tonnes per year. It has the capacity to generate 200 megawatts of energy annually, which can serve the requirements of 135,000 residential units. The first phase of the project will be completed in 2023, with the full project set to be completed in 2024.
Director-General of Dubai Municipality Dawood Al Hajri said the project was created to serve the emirate’s current and future waste management and green energy requirements. It consists of a waste weighing unit, 15 reception points, five furnaces, a steam and power generation zone, 10,000 gas processing units, 27 gates and a zone for extracting metal from incinerated waste.
This article originally appeared on khaleejtimes.com