Saving Trees in the UAEby Asmita Pramanik | 02-05-2018 00:21 |
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UAE was often a pictured as a deserted region with not much natural beauty in its initial years of development. However, that statement does not apply to the country now, because of its tireless efforts towards making a lot of regions naturally beautiful. Government and several NGOs of UAE has played a significant role in involving citizens into contributing to the cause of growing more trees and providing a healthy and clean surrounding for themselves. One such program that has been on the go for a long time is "Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Program.'' About The Program The Ghaf tree, which is UAE's national tree, is planted by many corporal institutions, schools and individuals in the country between the months of May to October through this program. The Ghaf, though being a desert tree, is greatly beneficial as it can be used for green and beautification purposes while saving many litres of water. The primary aim of UAE currently is to turn its barren regions to "vibrant deserts." In this way, it's not only promoting the importance of planting more trees but also preserving its distinct geographical features. What are the uses of the Ghaf tree? > Fodder: The leafy portion is available for 4-5 months (June-October), during which it is used as dry fodder for animals and is sometimes mixed with animal feed. > Fuel: The scanty, purplish brown heartwood is preferred to other kinds for firewood. It is an excellent fuel, also giving high-quality charcoal (5,000 kcal/kg), hence the species name. > Timber: Wood used for boat frames, houses, posts and tool handles; often the poor form of unimproved trees limits use as timber. > Gum or resin: The tree yields a pale to amber-coloured gum with properties similar of gum acacias. > Tannin or dyestuff: Bark and leaf galls used for tanning. > Medicine: Reported to be astringent, demulcent, and pectoral, it is a folk remedy for various ailments. These advantages are a clear indication of why the Ghaf is considered to be so crucial to the country's growth. In addition to the initiative general structure, the cutting down of Ghaf trees without permission has been declared as illegal which has brought a big change in the developmental status of the county. PAPER OUT OF SAND? A very crucial aspect related to trees is the careful usage and production of paper. And without a doubt, UAE is marching forwards is this area as well. A project designed by the students of UAEU (United Arab Emirates University) reaped exemplary results when they put forward the idea of making paper out of sand and pellets of a polymer a material made from repeated chemical units joined together. This technique had taken inspiration from Rockstock, a commercially produced type of paper that is 80 per cent ground-down stone waste and 20 per cent polymer. It sounded truly unbelievable to me at first, but thanks to the amazingly efficient technology available, nothing seems impossible. The idea has been approved by the higher authorities and further experiments are being done to get a foolproof result. When technology and young minds come together in aid of Mother Earth, then I think it is safe to say that the future is in good hands. LINKS FOR REFERENCE: Give a Ghaf- Khaleej Times |
