Abu Dhabi, 19 Feb. 2013 (WAM) -- The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has embarked on drawing up the Irrigation Master Plan for Abu Dhabi City to bring it in line with the urban growth seen by the city, and accordingly contribute to the sustainable development drive envisaged in Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 and reduce the consumption of fresh water resources, especially the desalinated water & groundwater, through total reliance on treated wastewater only for irrigating green spaces and landscaped areas.

Rashid Al Falasi, Director of Parks and Recreational Facilities, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, said, "This project is undertaken in the context of the Municipality?s keenness to conserve the irrigation water, and adopt state-of-the-art technologies in constructing advanced irrigation networks. It also sets the provision of green spaces, parks and recreational facilities as a priority for the Municipality Abu Dhabi City in order to meet the requirements of the steady growth witnessed by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi along with the accompanying developments spanning green spaces, and public parks. To achieve this the Municipality is keen on gearing this process with the inputs of water resources & local standards, especially those which have impacts on the local environment, and the actual need of residents for these natural avenues. In this sense, an irrigation master plan had to be set up in resonance with the urban growth and in a way that contributes to achieving sustainable development.

"The Parks and Recreational Facilities Division, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, has started working on the preparation of the Irrigation Master Plan for Abu Dhabi City Project, which is mainly oriented towards achieving complete dependence on treated wastewater to irrigate greens & landscaped areas and avoiding the use of wells? water or desalinated water in irrigating landscaped areas.

"The project, which is to be implemented over a span of 18 months, focuses mainly on estimating the future needs of water for Municipal projects envisaged in Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council?s Plan 2030, requirements of Estidama, the Environmental Strategy 2030 of Environment Agency, Master Plan for Using Treated Wastewater of Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, and the Strategy of the Municipality aimed at reducing the cost of operation and maintenance & Landscaping Master Plan. The project also concentrates on identifying alternative irrigation methods to figure out the best scenario to operate the existing network by using one of the world?s latest hydraulic modeling programs. The project also revolves around designing a spatial & time map for the future needs of irrigation water, and preparing a technical and financial plan for development projects along with the timeframe set for this plan.

"The project also falls under the realms of one of the Municipality?s initiatives that seeks to provide irrigation systems compatible with international standards to ensure optimal utilization in using treated water in irrigating green spaces and landscaped areas in Abu Dhabi city".

Al Falasi said, "The importance of the project stems from several parameters highlighted by focusing on the environmental aspect in terms of protecting the urban and natural environment, and contributing to achieving sustainable development by preserving fresh water resources, and meeting the requirements of the rapid growth seen by Abu Dhabi Emirate along with the accompanying development of green spaces, and construction of public parks in keeping with the water resources & environmental inputs.""The irrigation plan," he added, "takes into account estimating the future needs of water for municipal projects, in line with Estidama requirements, besides focusing on the Municipality?s strategy in this regard.

Economically speaking, the project has several positives such as supporting the sustainable economic development such as building internal economic capabilities and improving the local capacities through an integrated training program targeting municipal employees engaged in the management, operation and maintenance of irrigation networks. The projects also aims at saving the cost of desalinated water currently borne by the Municipality, cutting operation and maintenance cost, and achieving sustainable economic development by ensuring the highest return on government investments in the infrastructure sector. The project is also intended to draw up a spatial & timeline map envisaging the future needs of irrigation water, and develop a technical & financial plan for development projects to ensure optimum distribution & comprehensive coverage of all areas, in addition to ensuring quality operation and maintenance by adopting an integrated plan benchmarked to the world?s best practices and the latest directories pertaining to the management, operation and maintenance of irrigation systems," elaborated Al Falasi.

"Abu Dhabi?s Irrigation Master Plan achieves integration by coordinating with the relevant authorities and strategic partners to ensure taking concerted efforts towards epitomizing the directives and policies of the Government of Abu Dhabi in a way that ensures full integration and coordination to achieve the overall vision and the Environmental Strategy 2030 of the Environment Agency, by adopting integrated management and optimal use of environmental and water resources. Moreover, the plan also ensures full integration and coordination with the master plan for using wastewater produced by Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company in full resonance with the strategic partners including the Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and various relevant government entities, in a way fully aligned with the Landscaping Master Plan of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City," he continued.

With regard to the project?s scope of work, Al Falasi said, "The Municipality is preparing the Technical Map for the Assets of Irrigation Network, and another map for the Geographical Distribution of Consumed Irrigation Water, using a database connected with geographic maps. The Municipality is also estimating future needs of water for Municipal projects according to Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council?s 2030 Plan along with the Municipality?s Landscaping Plan. The Municipality is also engaged in designing a time-place map for the future needs of irrigation water aligned with the Plan of Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company, besides preparing prototypes of irrigation projects required to achieve the objectives of 2030 Plan and classifying them according to the time plan and financial budget.

"The Plan brings about multiples deliverables such as compiling an integrated database for the assets of the existing irrigation network linked to the geographical data of these assets, producing consumption maps for irrigating water, and preparing prototypes for developing irrigation network projects classified according to a time plan and a budget, as per the projected water consumption and in line with the development plans to ensure total dependence on using treated wastewater for irrigation purposes and avoiding using wells? water or desalinated water for irrigation and landscaping. It also includes updating the directories pertaining to designs, technical specifications, and architectural drawings, along with the directories of operation and maintenance. It also includes building internal capabilities and improving local capacities through an integrated training program targeting the municipal employees engaged in the management, operation and maintenance of irrigation networks," concluded Al Falasi

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2013.