Al Ain City Municipality has completed a project to establish and develop windbreaks along Tahnoon bin Mohammed Road, extending for 14 kilometres and featuring the planting of 1,807 Ghaf trees. The project aims to reduce sand encroachment, enhance protection for the road and surrounding areas, and support environmental sustainability.
Engineer Alyazia Rashid Al Neyadi, Project Manager, said the project forms part of Al Ain City Municipality’s efforts to enhance vegetation cover and establish green belts that serve as natural windbreaks. These measures help reduce wind speeds and the movement and encroachment of sand, enhance road-user safety, and protect nearby infrastructure and residential areas.
She added that the project uses Ghaf trees due to their high adaptability to the desert environment, helping establish effective windbreaks supported by a modern, high-efficiency irrigation system that ensures optimal use of water resources. The project also includes operation and maintenance programmes that support the sustainability and density of the vegetation cover.
She explained that the project’s technical studies indicate that the windbreaks can reduce sand encroachment by between 70% and 90% in areas located behind them, depending on vegetation density and prevailing wind directions. This contributes to reducing sand accumulation on the road and limiting the impact of sandstorms on surrounding areas, while also helping reduce noise levels.
The project was implemented through a series of stages, including the preparation of studies and designs, site preparation, construction of irrigation networks, pumping stations and water tanks, planting of native trees according to approved plans, followed by operation, testing and maintenance programmes to ensure the project’s sustainability.
The project contributes to combating desertification by stabilising soil, reducing wind erosion and increasing vegetation cover. Ghaf trees also contribute to enhancing plant diversity and ecosystem stability, as well as capturing dust and suspended particles, thereby supporting improved air quality and the surrounding environment.
The project creates a sustainable green corridor along Tahnoon bin Mohammed Road, contributing to road-user safety, protecting nearby residential areas and infrastructure from sand encroachment, enhancing the urban landscape and supporting sustainability objectives and quality of life in Al Ain City.
Engineer Alyazia Rashid Al Neyadi, Project Manager, said the project forms part of Al Ain City Municipality’s efforts to enhance vegetation cover and establish green belts that serve as natural windbreaks. These measures help reduce wind speeds and the movement and encroachment of sand, enhance road-user safety, and protect nearby infrastructure and residential areas.
She added that the project uses Ghaf trees due to their high adaptability to the desert environment, helping establish effective windbreaks supported by a modern, high-efficiency irrigation system that ensures optimal use of water resources. The project also includes operation and maintenance programmes that support the sustainability and density of the vegetation cover.
She explained that the project’s technical studies indicate that the windbreaks can reduce sand encroachment by between 70% and 90% in areas located behind them, depending on vegetation density and prevailing wind directions. This contributes to reducing sand accumulation on the road and limiting the impact of sandstorms on surrounding areas, while also helping reduce noise levels.
The project was implemented through a series of stages, including the preparation of studies and designs, site preparation, construction of irrigation networks, pumping stations and water tanks, planting of native trees according to approved plans, followed by operation, testing and maintenance programmes to ensure the project’s sustainability.
The project contributes to combating desertification by stabilising soil, reducing wind erosion and increasing vegetation cover. Ghaf trees also contribute to enhancing plant diversity and ecosystem stability, as well as capturing dust and suspended particles, thereby supporting improved air quality and the surrounding environment.
The project creates a sustainable green corridor along Tahnoon bin Mohammed Road, contributing to road-user safety, protecting nearby residential areas and infrastructure from sand encroachment, enhancing the urban landscape and supporting sustainability objectives and quality of life in Al Ain City.