The organisers of the campaign, quoting experts, said that it is high time that the real estate developers and regulators take environmental concerns seriously and mitigate the negative effect of such massive construction activity on the fragile ecosystem of the desert.  The UAE has made LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification norms mandatory, but organisers said there is need for rating tools for assessing the green efficiency of a building as well as dedicated endeavors to follow sustainable landscaping methods.

Disturbed Landscape

According to environmental experts, the huge spree of real estate development taking place in the UAE has no precedence and the shaping and reshaping of the land on such a massive scale has led to a topographical situation of `Disturbed Landscape,'    which could lead to ecological  imbalance and consequent travails that will impact negatively on sustainable living.

"There are two important ways in which the UAE is different. First, this land is a desert. This is a fragile ecosystem that requires a lot of sensitive understanding and care. Second, the projects here are reshaping the landscape on a scale not witnessed before. The created land is essentially dredged barren coral sand, taken from the sea. Thus, it not only impacts the land but also the sea floor. It results in disturbance on a massive scale, hence the term `Disturbed Landscapes,' but that does not mean that there is no scope for development or that they cannot be converted into `Sustainable Landscapes,' said Dr. Prabhakar Rao, Chief Operating Officer, and International Association of Human Values (IAHV), one of the organisers of the Mission Green Earth Campaign.

The campaign held under the patronage of UN Messenger of Peace HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, with the support of UNDP, UNEP and the International Humanitarian City (IHC) has attracted thousands of people so far who have registered their interest and pledge to pursue sustainable living on www.missiongreenearth.ae.

The Mission Green Earth campaign is  organised by the IAHV and Art of Living (AOL)  with the support of Barclays Bank PLC envisages the UAE residents rise in unison, standing up for sustainable environment and living during the three days of October 17, 18 and 19 2008.

Indicating that there is less emphasis on changing `Disturbed Landscapes' to `Sustainable Landscapes,' Mr. Rao said that priorities of real estate developers get shifted when projects are on the ground.   "If you observe any of the completed projects, aesthetics gets the highest priority with cost, environmental Impact and sustainability following in that order. It means that while the original vision may have been right, by the time the project is completed, the factors that drive it are different from the original intent."

"When you observe the external landscaping, it is predominantly face-value driven with emphasis on a "Look-Good" feel. The developers are willing to spend, but somehow sustainability slips to the lowest level of importance," he added.

Green as cost increase

Echoing the concerns and the need to be sensitive to environmental concerns, Mr. David Gottfried, Founder of the US and World Green Council, and who developed the LEED Green Building rating system to define Green buildings, said: "Dubai has an incredible opportunity, it is building like crazy and if it misses this opportunity, it will not only hurt the earth but those buildings when 40-50 years old will only increase CO2 and other pollution."

Commenting on the threats to environmental sustainability in the region, he said:  "First, we have already embarked on hundreds of buildings that are not green. We lost those in terms of their design and construction. However, we can catch those somewhat if we go through greening of operations and maintenance, maybe water efficiency, energy efficiency and air quality. The second barrier is the typical developer mentality- perceiving green as a cost increase, a risk and a liability."

Mr. Gottfried who was in Dubai recently said that Green buildings can bring more value to investment.  "The need is to educate, train, develop and open minds. What the data is showing in North America is that those who embrace green buildings are achieving higher rental rates, lower expenses and better sales prices. At the end of the day, a green building is making them more money. So we need to wake up and that is my mission."

He said that the Government of Dubai is moving in a very positive direction on Green buildings, but the effort should be to move to higher levels. "I would like them to 'require' at higher levels. If you look at LEED, I would say we need a minimum LEED Silver for this country. There should be significant incentives to go to the higher levels, so if you go to LEED Gold maybe you get a fast permit, you go to the front of the line. If you go to LEED Platinum, you get to build 2 more storeys on your building. If you go beyond the Platinum, towards a carbon/ water/ waste neutral or zero building, maybe you get other incentives or cash," Mr. Gotfried said.

Green Procurement, Zeroscaping

The environment expert also said there is a case to advocate green procurement across the region and have cost efficiencies by bringing things like solar energy to be incredibly cost effective.  "Here we have so much solar we should be able to generate beyond our need and still benefit financially.  We should also be super water efficient because water is a dear commodity, especially in the desert," Mr. Gotfried said.

On green landscaping, he highlighted 'Zeroscaping' where no potable water is used. "First rule is that you grow only native plants that are drought tolerant, such as cactus and others. This is the highest used methodology. Second tier would be to capture your gray water from your sinks, baths, showers and filter it on site and then use that for landscaping. We have cisterns or barrels to capture water and then you use that for landscaping."

Mr. Gotfried also suggested that solar hot water is the smartest idea for UAE and the Gulf region. "Every home should have its hot water heater on the roof. There should be governmental program to install it in every building within 2 years. Even to cool things you should explore geo-thermal opportunities by running the air underground to have heat extraction," he added.

This year's Mission Green Earth campaign aims to mobilise and engage UAE residents, collectively and individually, in support of a sustainable environment through two challenges.

Stand Up - All over the country, residents will Stand Up in their homes, communities, schools and colleges, organisations and institutions and read a pledge in support of the Millennium Development Goals with a focus on environmental sustainability.  The Stand Up will be reported along with a photograph to be added to the global count for the Guinness Book Record for the largest number of people standing up for a cause.

Take Action - Participants will take action through actively committing to conserve energy and water and reduce waste. They will also be motivated to plant trees and plants that require lesser of the earth's natural resources, including valuable water, for their survival and maintenance.

To participate and learn more about MISSION GREEN EARTH, go to www.missiongreenearth.ae.

-Ends-

The Mission Green Earth campaign has its roots in the United Nations Millennium Goals (MDGs). In September 2000, 189 Heads of Nations came together to commit to work together to end poverty and to build a safer, more prosperous and equitable world for all by 2015 at the United Nations Millennium Summit, which gave birth to the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mission Green Earth aligns with MDG No 7 in support of a sustainable environment.

The Millennium Development Goals are supported and reinforced by the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC). Launched in 2002, the UNMC is a U.N. initiative to support and encourage people's involvement and actions to realise the eight MDG's and hold their government accountable for the millennium promise. The "Stand up & Speak Out" challenge was launched in 2006. In 2007, 43.7 million people around the world and 98,000 in UAE people stood up to end extreme poverty and hunger.

About the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and the Art of Living (AOL):
The International Association for Human Values (IAHV) is an NGO established in Geneva in 1997. It holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Through programmes educating people about shared values, the International Association for Human Values along with its sister organization, the Art of Living Foundation (AOL), has been working towards building healthy, sustainable communities in over 150 countries around the world. IAHV and AOL develop and promote programs of personal development to encourage the practice of human values in everyday life. They also have programs of community education that foster greater awareness of shared values among diverse cultures. Their Middle-Eastern headquarters were established at the International Humanitarian City in 2003.

• Web sites: www.iahv.org and www.artofliving.org

• Contact person: Sunila Muzawar

• Phone: +971.50.6576014

• E-mail: media@missiongreenearth.ae

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. On the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners. Progress towards the achievement, by 2015, of the Millennium Development Goals is an integral part of UNDP's works.

UNDP is a neutral and trusted partner, which draws on its mandate, wide pool of knowledge and comparative advantages to enhance national capacities in line with national priorities and objectives. UNDP works with a wide variety of partners including Government, civil society organization and private sector, the UN system and other international partners. 

• Website: www.undp.org.ae

• Contact Person: Walid Abu Saifan

• Phone: + 971.50.9455039 

About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
The UNEP is the voice for the environment in the United Nations system. It is an advocate, educator, catalyst and facilitator, promoting the wise use of the planet's natural assets for sustainable development. It aims to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Website: www.unep.org 

About the International Humanitarian City (IHC):
International Humanitarian City (IHC) is a first-of-its-kind global humanitarian hub, which aims to facilitate aid and development efforts by providing local and international humanitarian actors with facilities and services specifically designed to meet their needs. An independent free zone authority created by the Government of Dubai under the Directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and chaired by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, Ruler of Dubai, IHC consolidates Dubai as an essential link in the humanitarian value chain. Leveraging the proven Dubai free zone model, IHC addresses the specific needs of the humanitarian aid and development community, while grouping them in a secure environment that fosters partnerships, social responsibility and global change. By co-locating, non-profit and commercial entities are encouraged to share best practices to increase their operational efficiencies and improve institutional learning. 56 United Nations agencies, international NGOs and companies supplying aid-related goods and services are currently registered with IHC. IHC is a non-religious, non-political and non-profit organisation.

Official website: www.ihc.ae

Contact person: Elise Bijon, Communications Officer, elise.bijon@ihc.ae; +971.4.3680226 

About Barclay's Bank / Community Services:
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs 147,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 42 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has been a member of the UAE business community for more than 30 years, and services its clients through a network of 44 ATMs and 4 distribution points. It continues to invest heavily in the region and to expand the range of services offered to customers.

Official website: www.barclays.com

Contact person: Umayma Abubakar, Head of Corporate Affairs,  Umayma.Abubakar@barclays.com; +971.4.3626740

For more information, Please contact:
Jayakrishnan B/Bishoy Salah /Zoheb Bashir
JamQ Communications FZ LLC
Phone: (O) 00971 43298313/(M) 00971 50 3629823/6962042/055 9114613

© Press Release 2008

 

Community Comments (1) - Comment on this article

The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect Zawya. Read our Comment Policy.

 

Much-needed campaign! by Steven O'Sullivan - 07-Oct-08
The world needs more campaign like this one! In too many countries across the globe, buildings are constructed by the thousands without a single thought of the affects these structures will have on the environment.

In addition to this, the concepts of 'Zeroscaping' should be applied more often. Water and energy are vital resources not just in the UAE, but in just about every other nation. Recycling of water for use in gardens, solar heating and many other steps should be taken to minimise our impact on the environment!

I feel quite strongly that this is a much-needed campaign and wil feature this article on www.greentec.co.za [Report Abuse | Email to a Friend | Reply to this Comment]

 

 

 

 

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