Thirsty work

Sarah Blackman , July 11th, 2010

Despite the problem of water scarcity in the Middle East, there is an increasing desire to lay green lawns and plant flower beds in and around the region’s developments.

In light of this, Facilities Management Middle East discovers ways to maintain landscapes whilst using as little irrigation as possible.

A building is an obvious essential for every community or mega project, whether it is a residential zone or an office block. But without landscaping, developments like The Pearl, Qatar and Dubai Marina could look rather dull.

The Middle East is renowned for its five-star resorts, spas and hotels but where would Downtown Burj Dubai be without its famous dancing fountain? Or the Atlantis without the beach side promenades of The Palm Jumeirah?

Mega-projects from theme parks and wildlife centres, to skyscrapers and man-made islands, depend on striking landscaping to attract investment, but at what cost to the environment?

The Dubai government has recently announced plans to provide every person living in the emirate with the equivalent of 25m² of greenery by 2020.

This is good news for service providers, as more construction leads to an increased demand for maintenance. But where there is a need for groundskeeping there is a need for water, and a lot of it.

According to the head of Dubai Municipalities’ Horticulture Project Unit Abdullah Al Ali, a square metre of grass needs 54 litres of water per day to keep it hydrated– not ideal in a desert region.

But luckily, as Facilities Management Middle East found out, more and more service providers around the Gulf are playing their part to maintain the beauty of the outdoors whilst preserving the world’s most vital element.

Conservation
When it comes to landscaping, water can be spared using a number of different methods. Firstly, water retaining additives can be mixed with soil.

“These can hold water for quite a long period of time, further minimising water requirements. The additives also help improve the overall quality of the soil,” reports Arco General Contracting director Rafael Khanoyan.

Secondly, the choice of trees and flowers planted in this region will determine how much H₂O is consumed.

According to Lee Allen, an associate for Cracknell, a specialist in master planning, landscape architecture, project management and irrigation engineering, up to a quarter of all water used for irrigation is wasted because of poor plant choice.

“Plant selection is very important. Twenty to twenty-five percent of irrigation water in the UAE is lost by draining down to the water table,” he told Facilities Management Middle East.

“Local plants would boost cultural identity, which is being eroded by the use of tropical plants,” he said.

Johnson Controls Global Workplace Solutions regional executive and general manager for the MENA region Jason Goddard seconds this argument: “Planting should be based on using indigenous species that are able to survive in their habitat with minimal attendance both from a water perspective and maintenance.”

“Whilst this may not be seen as the most attractive option, it is a more responsible route to take and is arguably more in keeping with the location.”

There are however, firms that design landscapes with long-term maintenance in mind.

“Our company conserves water by designing landscapes with more plants, which need less water, without compromising on aesthetics and composition,” says Deffufa Décor Director Samira Fahim.

Landscaping contractor Proscape also identifies the plants which won’t survive in this region and the plants that need a large amount of water to stay alive.

Further, the company’s chairman Ahmed Abdul Rahim Anoohi notes that mulching is important to retain moisture and reduce weed growth.

“We advise clients to cover plant beds with pine barks, coloured wood chips, gravel or pebbles,” he says. Automatic irrigation is another common technique used to maintain green embankments in a sustainable way.

“Being associated with Dubai municipality for various projects for decades, we have in-depth knowledge on evapotranspiration rates of various zones in Dubai and for various plants. Irrigation network zones will be created separately and different times of operation will be set for different plants,” explains Anoohi.

“We advise the client to operate sprinklers/sprayers during the night time to reduce the evaporation loss.” Recycling water is the most obvious technique, guaranteed to save water come rain or shine. But it has its drawbacks.

Irrigation
The argument about whether to use treated sewage effluent or potable water to preserve large areas of land, such as public parks, has stirred up a lot of debate.

On the one hand, using potable water to hydrate plants and other greenery is, for obvious reasons, bad for the environment, especially in a region where fears over water scarcity are rife.

But the use of irrigated water can also have nasty consequences. “You have to be careful with treated sewage effluent (TSE) because sometimes there is a terrible smell that comes from it,” says Nazneen Sabavala director of landscape design for 3 Square.

“In general, using recycled water is a great way of maintaining landscaping but the waste water generated is generally not enough to meet the demand of irrigation.”

Poor quality TSE can also cause residue buildup in the irrigation network resulting in maintenance issues. And treatment methods vary, making some TSE water more toxic than others.

But there are ways to avoid the risk of TSE harming humans and animals, according to Khanoyan.

“We use special water filters which sift organic contaminants.” Aside from being energy efficient, TSE has other advantages. It is cheaper than potable water and contains minerals, which reduces the requirement of fertilizers.

Anoohi goes one step further and says: “If we don’t use treated sewage water for plants, it will be dumped into the sea and pollute the environment.”

“Also, DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) recommends the use of TSE water for irrigation purposes. They discourage use of DEWA water for watering plants.”

Synthetics
There are other ways of preserving water of course; by using no water at all.

Custom-made synthetic grass can be laid into all types of projects and requires virtually no maintenance. This is bad news for groundskeepers but good news for facilities managers hoping to reduce the amount of water consumed by a building and, in turn, long-term operation costs.

“Seventy percent of water used in a household goes to watering the lawn and landscaping. This can amount to over 100,000 gallons of water per year,” reports Jennifer Lalani, operations manager for GreenPeople, a manufacturer of synthetic grass.

“A synthetic lawn can save owners thousands of dirhams every year in water bills. It pays for itself in a matter of months.”

Goddard argues that the marketing of synthetic lawns in the Middle East is growing: “Green lawns in the Middle East could not be described as characteristic of the region and to be truly sustainable, should arguably not even be considered with the preference being indigenous landscapes. However, if it is an imperative, then synthetic grass may be an acceptable option.”

But, there are issues to be considered when investing in artificial turf: “In terms of extending its life-time, it should of course be made from sustainable or recycled material to have a low carbon impact on the environment.

Issues of texture and fade due to UV, appear to have been addressed, but more research into the product is required,” Goddard adds. But, when it comes to landscaping, grass isn’t the only element of the garden that needs maintaining.

“Decking requires cleaning, maintenance and application of sealers/paints once every six months. Pool cleaning needs to be done once in a week for physical impurities,” explains Anoohi.

“There are automatic back-wash filters and chlorinators available to keep the pool clean.”

Demand
So how high is the demand for landscaping maintenance? And is this the top item on clients’ list of priorities during the economic crisis?

“Yes and no,” says Fahim. “Yes because the number landscaping projects in the region is growing and there is more awareness about [the availability of] professional services. No because, for economic reasons, garden owners are doing some of it themselves.”

But Khanoyan disagrees: “There is a large demand on landscape maintenance because the UAE government is allocating approximately 10% of the urban area for greeneries. As the UAE becomes greener, more maintenance is required in order to preserve these landscaped areas.”

A shared view among landscaping contractors, however, is that fewer man-hours are required for maintenance nowadays. “The key trend in groundskeeping in today’s maintenance is through mechanisation,” says Khanoyan.

“Using state of the art technology, we are able to use less manpower and maintain the greenery with a much higher rate of efficiency.”

Key landscaping experts you need to know

Deffufa Décor
Deffufa Décor is a company that provides design, execution and maintenance for projects including high-rise buildings, parks, roads, bridges, roundabouts and schools.

The company minimises water consumption by using plants with minimal water requirement and implements appropriate irrigation systems and water retaining additives.

Al Ryum/Arco General Contracting
Al Ryum General Contracting has six companies under its belt. Three companies are based in Abu Dhabi including Al Ryum Contracting, which specialises in construction, design and landscape solutions; Arco International, which offers landscape maintenance and maintains around 75% of Abu Dhabi; and Al Ryum Trading, which supplies a range of projects including sports surfaces and irrigation products.

Dubai also has a landscape solutions provider (Arco General Contracting), as well as Arco Electromechanical and Arco Tech Trading.

3 Square
Formed in 2006, 3 Square is a Dubai-based company specialising in interiors but also deals with landscape designs and installations.

Most of the company’s projects are private residential villas located in places such as Dubai Sports City. 3 Square also has a potential green roof project coming up but details are being kept under wraps.

Terraverde
Terraverde is a professional landscape contracting company based in Dubai and is specialised in creating outdoor living spaces combining natural elements with style and design.

This year, the company was awarded the honour ‘Landscaping Contractor of the Year’ for the 2nd year in a row, for the implementation of innovative landscaping maintenance, including the conservation of natural resources.

Cracknell
Cracknell was established in Dubai in January 1993 and in London in 1987. It is registered with the Dubai Municipality and the British Landscape Institute.

The company offers master planning and urban design, landscape architecture, concept architecture, irrigation engineering, horticulture, project management and construction supervision.

It is currently working on projects such as Abu Dhabi International Airport, a sustainable housing development in Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Central Market.

Proscape
Established in the year 2000, Proscape has seven companies under its belt catering for various landscape requirements in the Middle East.

Since 2006, the company has worked on a number of Dubai’s high profile developments such as the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, Mirdif City Centre and Victory Heights.

Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls Global Work Place Solutions offer a full range of real estate and facilities management services. Landscaping design and maintenance services are provided through its total facilities management model.

Greenpeople
Greenpeople introduced its synthetic lawns in the Middle East six years ago and has been implementing them into commercial, residential and sporting developments ever since.

Lawns are made in the USA and custom made for the Middle East’s climate. They are UV resistant, recyclable and require no water to maintain them.

Best plants for the Middle East Climate
Arco General Contracting director Rafael Khanoyan lists foilage that can cope with the Middle East's arid desert conditions.

Grass: Paspalum works the best. Bermuda also works well depending on which water is used to maintain it, as it is more fragile.
Palms: Phoenix dactylifera and Washington robusta
Trees: Delonix regia, Azadirachta indica, Acacia, Ficus, Conocarpus
Shrubs: Tecoma spp, Allamanda cathartica, Bougainvillea, Hibiscus
Ground covers: Pennisetum, Vitex, Leucophyllum, Alternenthera, Ruellia, Hymenocallis littoralis