Dubai city planners set green guidelines

There are plans to turn the guidelines into regulations by April 2009, which would force contractors to comply with them.

The Estidama initiative, devised to make Abu Dhabi the sustainability capital of the Middle East, drew up the guidelines. Estidama was launched in May to complement Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, the capital’s blueprint for development over the next two decades.

The guidelines will be tested soon, said Falah al Ahbabi, the general manager of the Urban Planning Council, which is taking part in the initiative along with developers, the construction industry, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Municipality.

“The testing period is very important,” he said. “Awareness is very important to let the market understand that there is a huge initiative coming from the Government.”

Among the key proposals are minimum space requirements to support green areas.

“We’re suggesting that for every 1,000 people, there will be two hectares of open green space,” said Salem al Qassimi, an associate planner with the UPC.

A major emphasis is on water conservation and solid-waste management. For example, at least 40 per cent of water for landscaping would have to be derived from grey water – waste water commonly collected as runoff from washing.

The programme also wants to conserve energy at the community level by encouraging green roofs to cool buildings naturally and curb the use of air conditioning.