Bahrain Needs Increased Urban Green Footprint

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Strategically designed city plans comprising of lush green landscapes consisting of integrated green infrastructure such as parks, green roofs and native vegetation work in tandem to actively restore ecological balance of the city and peri-urban areas as well. This combined with rationalisation of concrete and paved surfaces along with green building architecture can play a major role in reducing the urban heat island effect and rein in ambient temperature spikes. This in turn reduces peak energy demand levels in the form of electricity for air-conditioning. High urban temperatures are a challenge for any nation and more so for arid and desert nations such as Bahrain.

Over the past one decade, urban Bahrain has experienced rising levels of heat in the urban areas. As a result, residents have been increasingly forced to be indoors. This has triggered unprecedented peaks in grid consumption sometimes exceeding 3798 Mw as residents rely entirely on high-capacity air conditioning systems. But interestingly, there is a lesser discussed collateral damage of rising temperatures, which is infrastructure fatigue. Prolonged thermal stress accelerates the wear and tear of roads, building materials, and physical utilities, reducing their overall operational lifespan and needing frequent repairs and replacements.

To counter this urban heat stress, Bahrain has actively prioritised the National Afforestation Plan. The commendable progress under this initiative is helping to build newly integrated vegetation networks that will ensure reduced land surface temperatures especially in urban areas. But to make a quantum progress, Bahrain must also scale up the cool roof mandate. This initiative will ensure that reflective high albedo coatings are made mandatory as they can slash surface temperatures by 10 degrees. Moreover, rain and moisture on the pavements, parking lots and walkways is lost due to non-porous solid concrete used. This can be altered to porous, water retentive surfaces that capture water and let it percolate to ground.

Wind ventilation is yet another excellent way to diffuse rising urban heat levels. Bahrain must plan and redesign future urban geometry in such a manner that street layouts are visualised and constructed parallel to gulf breeze patterns. This breeze leverage can help increase wind velocity through urban heat pits and flush out stagnant hot air and anthropogenic emissions. This coupled with varied building heights can pay rich dividends in increasing urban thermal comfort as different building heights create pressure differentials which catch sea breeze and directs them downwards towards street level resulting in a cooler ambient climate. Add to this, Bahrain can deploy hyper-local pocket parks in all available empty plots. This will prevent these plots from absorbing thermal mass during peak solar hours.

Increased urban greenery can rein in spiking temperatures.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Daily Tribune)