It's no secret that the UAE is one of the driest countries in the world, yet per capita, it still uses significantly more water than the global average. According to a 2014 report entitled Achieving a Sustainable Water Sector in the GCC, compiled by Strategy&, part of the PricewaterhouseCoopers network: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE consume between 10 and 39 times the amount of renewable water available to them, depleting their aquifers at much faster rates than they can be replenished by rainfall."
This unquenchable demand for water is only going to increase as more projects, residents and tourists arrive in the UAE. It’s predicted that the demand for water will increase by 44 per cent by 2025, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, leading to fears that groundwater supplies could be depleted within the next 40 to 50 years.
Read more: Artificial grass options to consider
For the UAE to reduce water wastage, it has to, quite simply, reduce water usage. Among other recommendations, the Strategy& report suggests “a focus on irrigation efficiency by promoting xeriscaping, which uses minimal amounts of irrigation for gardening and landscaping; and the use of ‘grey water’ recycling for non-potable purposes (such as greenery and fountains)”. Another way to make our green spaces more sustainable is the increased use of artificial turf in private and public spaces, notes Ben Bloomfield, the director of Easigrass, a Dubai-based supplier of artificial grass that has installed its products in iconic projects such as Madinat Jumeirah and Wild Wadi.
This isn’t a new concept; the State of California, for example, actively encourages the use of artificial grass to reduce water consumption by offering subsidies to those who have it installed, Bloomfield notes.
While there will always be those who favour the real thing, the Easigrass team has seen a noticeable attitude shift towards artificial grass in the past year or so. “2015 seemed to be the point at which the tide turned in terms of people’s perceptions,” says Bloomfield. “Artificial grass is so advanced now that some of the high-end products really do resemble natural grass, so in this case, the grass does the talking more and more.”
Dhilip Kumar, the chief executive of Platinum SDI, a leading sustainable-development consultancy firm with several years’ experience in the region, makes a point of recommending artificial grass to his clients. “If our clients insist on using natural grass, we always advise them to use a native or adapted species that requires less water,” he explains. “If they do not insist on natural grass, then we will always advise them to use artificial grass, as Pearl and Green building regulations also mandate a significant reduction in annual landscape irrigation demand on every project.”
One of Dubai’s most innovative landscape-architecture practices, Desert Ink, was an early adopter of artificial grass, and has specified it in many recent projects, which include the Midtown by Deyaar residential complex in Dubai’s International Media Production Zone and a five-star hotel on The Palm, Jumeirah. Will Bennett, a landscape architect at Desert Ink, says that “despite being a proponent for all things natural in the softscape, we actually prefer to use artificial turf in many of our commercial projects for three main reasons: it provides a permanent ‘green’ surface all year round; environmentally speaking, it has far less effect on our water resources than real grass; and when we studied the numbers we found that it cost much less than irrigating real lawn, saving our clients’ money.
“Artificial turf, in this part of the world, is a better option than real turf in most scenarios. Its hard-wearing nature makes it ideal for intensively used areas such as playgrounds and sports pitches. It gives us great versatility to design with, because we are much less restricted by the maintenance requirements, compared with natural turf. For us, it adds value to our designs, and can bring the ‘wow’ factor that our clients expect from us.”
But there have been challenges along the way. A difficult part of the learning curve has been dispelling misconceptions that “green is really green”, Bennett explains. “It’s a false impression that vegetation equals green environmental credentials in this region. This might be correct in temperate climates, but in the desert, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Maintaining a lush lawn is incredibly intensive; it requires large quantities of water, pesticides and fertilisers, as well as labour.”
With a growing number of increasingly natural-looking options now available on the market, the argument no longer stands that artificial grass can never look or feel quite as good as the real thing. “Believe it or not, artificial grass comes in many different shapes and sizes, and not all green, either,” says Bloomfield. “The most obvious difference is in the height of the grass. For landscaping, the height of the grass will range from about 50 millimetres down to 20mm. Generally speaking, the longer it is the more natural it looks.
“Each individual blade of grass can be moulded, during the manufacturing process, into different shapes or profiles, and each shape has a different characteristic, look and feel. A V-shaped blade, for example, is very rigid and stiff, which is great for commercial areas, where the grass needs to be able to stand up to a high amount of traffic. You then have a C-shaped blade which is much softer, so great for family gardens, but not so good for really busy areas. Artificial grass is essentially a carpet, so things such as the stitch rate and the width between stitches will greatly affect how the grass feels.
“Some products come with a shorter brown-and-yellow grass below the green grass to make it look like there is old dying grass around the roots. This makes it look incredibly natural. The dead-root zone is probably the biggest step forward in terms of how the grass looks, but just as important is the shape of the blade. Natural grass isn’t flat — it has a shape to it. And now artificial grass can mimic this shape, so it really helps it appear more like real grass.”
It’s also a quick fix. It only takes Easigrass one day to fully install artificial grass in a 80-square-metre garden, and two days for a 200-square-metre space, including removing any old grass.
The average size garden that Easigrass works with measures between 30 square metres and 80 square metres, and starting prices for the full installation, including removing old grass and preparing a new base, range from Dh4,500 and Dh12,000 respectively. If the grass is being installed on top of tiles, then starting prices range from Dh3,000 to Dh8,000 for the same size areas. Easigrass and Desert Ink have developed a cost-analysis study to see if artificial grass is more sustainable from an economic point of view, as well as an environmental one. The conclusion of the study is that after two and a half years, the money spent on maintaining a natural grass lawn of 80 square metres surpasses that of artificial grass. At this point, the savings could be as much as Dh4,332 a year. For a larger commercial installation of 2,000 square metres, for example a hotel, the return on investment is three years. After three years, the savings can be as much as Dh87,202 a year.
Taking into account water usage figures in the UAE, it’s clear that action needs to be taken to reduce general water consumption, but more specifically, water wastage. Artificial grass is something of a no-brainer: it offers a solution that looks and feels like natural grass, is easy and cost-effective in the longer term, and requires no water to keep it green.
sdenman@thenational.ae
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Book%20Details
%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EThree%20Centuries%20of%20Travel%20Writing%20by%20Muslim%20Women%3C%2Fem%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEditors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiobhan%20Lambert-Hurley%2C%20Daniel%20Majchrowicz%2C%20Sunil%20Sharma%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIndiana%20University%20Press%3B%20532%20pages%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%20turbo%204-cyl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E298hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E452Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETowing%20capacity%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.4-tonne%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPayload%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4WD%20%E2%80%93%20776kg%3B%20Rear-wheel%20drive%20819kg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrice%3A%20Dh138%2C945%20(XLT)%20Dh193%2C095%20(Wildtrak)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDelivery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
No%20Windmills%20in%20Basra
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Diaa%20Jubaili%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20180%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Deep%20Vellum%20Publishing%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The%20stats%20and%20facts
%3Cp%3E1.9%20million%20women%20are%20at%20risk%20of%20developing%20cervical%20cancer%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E80%25%20of%20people%2C%20females%20and%20males%2C%20will%20get%20human%20papillomavirus%20(HPV)%20once%20in%20their%20lifetime%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EOut%20of%20more%20than%20100%20types%20of%20HPV%2C%2014%20strains%20are%20cancer-causing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E99.9%25%20of%20cervical%20cancers%20are%20caused%20by%20the%20virus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EA%20five-year%20survival%20rate%20of%20close%20to%2096%25%20can%20be%20achieved%20with%20regular%20screenings%20for%20cervical%20cancer%20detection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20aged%2025%20to%2029%20should%20get%20a%20Pap%20smear%20every%20three%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EWomen%20aged%2030%20to%2065%20should%20do%20a%20Pap%20smear%20and%20HPV%20test%20every%20five%20years%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EChildren%20aged%2013%20and%20above%20should%20get%20the%20HPV%20vaccine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company%20profile
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