On 09-Jan-16 Dubai Media Office published an image depicting green areas of new Dubai created by satellite images taken by Dubai Sat-2 satellite. It is very promising to see a big patch of green from outer space. It is very encouraging to see such vast greenery created by Dubai in Desert. Mind it dear ambassadors & other readers that all this massive landscaping is watered by recycled sewerage water. The seeds of all flowers & grass are also locally developed by the municipality.

The photograph uses false colours to represent certain types of areas. Vegetation is marked in red, bare ground is brown, water is dark blue, and buildings and paved surfaces are light blue or grey.

The image would be useful to public and private entities such as Dubai Municipality and environmental agencies, said Salem Al Marri, assistant director general of scientific and technology affairs at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

As the satellite?s onboard camera was limited to capturing images that are 10 kilometres wide, it took five to six passes over Dubai to stitch together a complete picture of the city.

?The image you see is a mosaic which takes months to create,? said Mr Al Marri.

Even though Dubai Sat-2 circumnavigates the globe about 14 times a day, four of which are over the UAE, it takes more than three months to shoot Dubai in its entirety.

The duration will be significantly reduced when the UAE launches its next-generation satellite into orbit.

KhalifaSat, the first satellite built entirely by Emirati engineers, will augment Dubai Sat-2 when it is launched in 2018 and provide more detailed images thanks to a higher-resolution camera. ?If Dubai Sat-2 can tell you how many trees there are in a specific area, you will be able to identify what kind of trees they are with KhalifaSat,? said Mr Al Marri.

With this locally developed amazing new technology, Dubai will be in a better position to monitor its environmental footprint. The way they keep a count of each tree in the Emirate it shows their dedication & the value they assign to each tree. They do not waste any vegetation not even a blade of grass. Nothing is thrown away. I wish to convey this dedication to the readers. If you want to be sustainable show your dedication. Value each patch of green. Respect & care the nature & it will protect you for sure.

Images Source: The National, Bhomes, Dubai Media Office