IAHV plants the seeds of environment awareness

DUBAI — A non-profit organisation is distributing free plants as a part of “World Environment Week” in a bid to enhance environmental awareness among residents.

By Prerna Suri

Published: Sun 5 Jun 2005, 10:26 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 7:56 PM

The “Adopt-A-Plant” project, launched by the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), makes you do just that — care for a plant like your own for the next three months.

Distributed free of charge by volunteers, the tissue cultured plants in innovative glass tubes have been designed to require no water or care for the summer months.

“All that is required is love,” said Prabhakar Rao, Chief Operating Officer (COO), IAHV.

“These plants just have to be kept in air-conditioned environment near a window. The greenhouse effect within the test-tube provides the plants with all the water and nutrition it requires,” said Rao.

After three months, when the weather turns better, the plants can be taken out of the test-tube, planted in a pot and kept indoors for a month till it settles and then it can be planted outside.

Plants such as Aloe Vera, Syngonium, Banana and various varieties of cacti will be distributed by IAHV volunteers from 7pm-9pm at selected Emarat, Adnoc and Spinney’s outlets in the country. IAHV aims to distribute 100,000 plants to people throughout the UAE with hundreds of students, and employees of multinational organisations expected to join in.

The plants will also be couriered to business centres such as the Dubai Internet City (DIC) and the Dubai Media City (DMC) through the organisation’s logisitics sponsor FedEx.

Rao thought the campaign was appropriate for the region. “We are trying to create a movement through which people would want to ‘think green’. Dubai is a city where environmental awareness is not a major priority amongst many people. Through these plants, we hope that people would think more of the environment and contribute to the city’s greenery,” he said.

“It is important that people understand that the test-tube is not be opened for 3 months. In principle we have accounted for one plant-one person since our plant in the test-tube is really just symbolic,” he said.

Plants will also be distributed to various organisations and institutions on request by calling IAHV at 04-3860219.

IAHV is a non-government organisation in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Its middle-eastern headquarters was registered with the Dubai Humanitarian City in July last year.

Prime sponsors of this countrywide initiative include ETA-Star, Dolphin Radiators and Pacific Controls. Logistic sponsors include Emarat, Adnoc, FedEx and Spinneys. Media sponsors include Zee Network, Real Media, Channel 4 Network, Khaleej Times, Emirates Neon and Dubai Quiz.com.