Al-Hayat

In 2018, the Riyadh Public Transport project will hopefully be completed. A lot of trees have been cut down because of this project. I do not know the exact number, but it is very large. Most of the trees were located on main streets. As far as I know, no replacement trees have been planted in other streets to make up for those that have been lost. A big city like Riyadh suffers from a shortage of green areas and trees. Moreover, not enough care is given to green areas.

A few years ago, Riyadh Municipality removed trees from different roads and squares; no substitute trees were planted in other areas. Perhaps this is the reason why Riyadh suffers from desertification and why no solution has so far been found for this problem.

As the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh is in dire need of revolutionary ideas that can improve and better its environment. It needs more green areas and trees. The authorities should raise public awareness about the protection and preservation of green areas. They should conduct studies to find out what drives the temperature up and what makes the city so hot. Is it our way of life, is it the asphalt or cement used in construction or is it cars? They need to find solutions to reduce the temperature and provide suitable alternatives. For example, buildings should have some shaded areas. Practical ideas for this problem are needed for Riyadh.

Trees can play a major role in reducing the use of energy to make buildings cool. They can also reduce the speed of winds that cause dust and contribute to reducing dust storms.