Nakheel has 'factored in' climate threat in land reclamation

Parag Deulgaonkar, Emirates Business 28 Apr 08;

Nakheel, the frontline developer when it comes to land reclamation for iconic property development, has already factored in adversities of climatic change to safeguard its reclaimed projects.

“Even looking at the most conservative figures [in the worst case scenario], the body of scientific evidence from around the world indicates a maximum sea level rise over the next hundred years of the order of half a metre. We have factored this into the final design levels of our reclamation projects,” a Nakheel spokesperson told Emirates Business.

Nakheel, which is now exporting its methodology and technology worldwide, was responding to statements by Dr RK Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Speaking in Dubai at the launch of ETA Star Property Developers’ green building called Verde, Dr Pachauri said reclaimed land, which is often not very high above the sea level, and low-lying areas possibly face the danger of subsidence.

“There is enough reason to be concerned about sea rise, especially in those areas which are low-lying or reclaimed and they are in the danger of subsidence. We cannot really say it could happen or whether it will happen, but it certainly is a distant possibility,” he said.

However, the Nakheel statement added: “We have also factored in king tides, storm surge, high seas [big waves], giving us a minimum height of four metres above chart datum. Rather than consider the shores of the UAE, which are very well managed, we should consider the thousands of other human centres occupying very low-lying coastal land around the world and assist them in planning for future developments.”

Across its portfolio, Nakheel, which is developing The Palm Trilogy and The World on reclaimed land, has invested in more than a dozen innovative research projects pertaining to environmental conservation. More than 20 different international and national research institutes and consultancies are currently associated with the company in efforts to promote environmental sustainability.

Dr Pachauri, meanwhile, called for “strict” zoning and building laws to ensure that structures continue to exist for a long time.

“One of our projections is that the sea level will rise by 59 centimetres in the next 50 to 60 years and that could be very serious. Although there is no question of threat of submergence or rehabilitation, we need to look at implications and bring rules and laws that could ensure safety to life and property.”

Apart from the rising sea level, climatic changes will have an impact on health and agriculture as well.

“There could be spread in vector-bound diseases across the world. Moreover, agriculture yield could come down, creating food imbalance and riots in some countries.”

Although demand for energy is increasing in Dubai and is adding to global greenhouse gas emission, Pachauri praised the emirate for initiating the sustainability agenda. “Half of the greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings and so there is urgent need to have more green buildings.”

In October last year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued a decree ordering builders and developers to comply with green building standards to boost the country’s eco-credentials. The eco-friendly decree, which is the first of its kind in the region, came into effect from January this year.

“Dubai is committed to supporting the international community in addressing the global environmental challenge. It is the first city in the Middle East – and, in fact, one of the few cities in the world – to adopt green building standards, setting a benchmark for other global cities,” Mohammed Al Gergawi, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Chairman of The Executive Office, and the Executive Chairman and CEO of Dubai Holding had said.

Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources – energy, water, and materials – while reducing impact on human health and the environment, through better design, construction, operation, maintenance.

The related concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are integral to green building. Effective green building can lead to reduced operating costs by increasing productivity and using less energy and water, improved public and occupant health due to improved indoor air quality, and reduced environmental impact by, for example, lessening storm water run-off and the heat island effect. Practitioners of green building often seek to achieve not only ecological but aesthetic harmony between a structure and its surrounding natural and built environment, although the appearance and style of sustainable buildings is not necessarily distinguishable from their less sustainable counterparts.

Green buildings often emphasise taking advantage of renewable resources such as using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off.

Many other techniques, such as using packed gravel for car parks instead of concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well. Besides adopting the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Pachauri advocated creation of an indigenous rating system that will consider the lifestyle and culture of the place.

In July 2007, Emirates Business reported the Emirates Green Building Council was planning to launch a rating system to assess environmentally friendly buildings in the UAE. The voluntary system, which will be tailored to the local climate and culture, will set a range of benchmarks including the reduction of energy demand and water consumption, and satisfying sustainability criteria for the use of materials.

“We already have rules in place. We will adopt those measures from the rating system that we feel are most applicable and useful for us,” Kamal Mohammed Azayem, senior mechanical engineer, Building Department, Dubai Municipality said.


Threat to small islands

Sea level rise is expected to exacerbate inundation, storm surge, erosion and other coastal hazards, thus threatening vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities that support the livelihood of island communities, according to the 2007 synthesis report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Deterioration in coastal conditions, for example through erosion of beaches and coral bleaching, is expected to affect local resources.

By mid-century, climate change is expected to reduce water resources in many small islands, such as in the Caribbean and Pacific, to the point where they become insufficient to meet demand during low-rainfall periods.

With higher temperatures, increased invasion by non-native species is expected to occur, particularly on mid- and high-latitude islands, the report said.