Dubai gets region's largest living green wall

Dubai - The vertical garden spans 1,260 square metres and features over 80,000 plants.

The Middle East's largest 'living green wall' has been unveiled at the Dubai Wharf, located in the heart of Culture Village overlooking the historic Dubai Creek.
Extending 210 metres in length and rising six metres high, the vertical garden spans 1,260 square metres and features over 80,000 plants forming a leaf canopy area equivalent to around 200 trees. It is capable of offsetting an estimated 4.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.
"Dubai Properties sought to create a microclimate that enhances the aesthetic appeal of the Dubai Wharf and the well-being of its visitors and residents. The stunning green wall provides a perfect backdrop for pictures and invites nature lovers for an idyllic stroll along the Dubai Creek shoreline," the developer said in a statement. 
Living green walls are vertical gardens that are particularly useful in urban landscaping, where space can be a constraint. Plants naturally remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen while filtering the air around them through absorbing pollutants. This beneficial effect is compounded by the sheer number of plants in living green walls.
Green walls are a relatively new concept worldwide, with 93 per cent installed after 2007. Found mostly in urban environments, where the plants help reduce the overall temperature of the buildings, many of the best-known green walls are located in public places, such as airports and shopping malls.
Heat build-up in cities is primarily caused by the absorption and subsequent emission of solar heat in asphalt roads and building materials. Plant surfaces can help offset this occurrence by reducing temperatures through a process called evapotranspiration. The effect can be felt more prominently in the immediate vicinity of a surface such as a green wall that can lower surrounding temperatures by up to five degrees Celsius.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai