Municipality buildings to have 'green roofs'

Dubai Municipality has embarked on an initiative called "Green Roofs" during the recent Green Dubai Forum.

The concept will be applied on the roofs of the municipality buildings to gauge its positive impacts on them. It aims at transforming 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.

The municipality conducted a vast study that confirmed the success of this project in other countries and decided to apply this concept in protecting the environment, reducing the heat level and cleansing the air from other pollutants.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said it has launched the initiative in line with the law on the application of green building specifications in Dubai, which will be officially issued in mid-December under the directives of the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Green Buildings project will be implemented in three short-term (2008), mid-term (2009-2012) and long-term phases.

"This project comes as an implementation and follow up of the Green Buildings project. It also caters to the huge urban expansion witnessed by the city of Dubai, which enhances the heat level of the region. Green roofs are considered to be one of the environment-friendly solutions taken up by the municipality," he said.

The municipality has chosen suitable plants for this project in addition to beautiful designs in co-ordination with the Public Parks and Horticulture Department. Lootah said the municipality will soon issue a special booklet on how to implement the concept and is keen to launch the project by applying it on the roof of the municipality building.

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