Desert Farming: "Breathable Sand" Farm in Ras Al Khaimah
Local Produce and Harvesting
Dake Rechsand
Vegetable Growth in Desert Farm
Dake Rechsand
CRITICAL TO PAIR TREE-PLANTING DRIVES WITH WATER-WISE TECHNOLOGIES: DAKE RECHSAND
https://uaenews247.com/
International Experts from China, USA and UAE at the Sustainable Farm Construction
Dake Rechsand
In Abu Dhabi, Breathable Sand technology has helped with the growing of peanuts, mung beans, and black-eyed peas on some farms, while mango and lemon orchids have also shown fruitful results in 18 months.
Most vegetables in Abu Dhabi are imported and/or shipped from nearby cities such as Dubai. Famers now can grow local vegetables and fruits to serve the local families. The quality of the product is also good, and the water usage is only 20% of what typical needs because uncontrolled infiltration is greatly reduced thanks to the Breathable Sand.
The current farm includes 500-square-meter arable land to plant vegetables and fruits, and 100,000 square meters of land in Ras Al Khaimah is being prepared for additional applications.
* Local government was supportive to allow the farm built using the new water-saving technologies. This solution is also in-line with the food security needs in the region.
* Local farmers, after explanation and demonstrations (please see other building blocks), with little guidance, were happy to embrace the technology.
* After three of years of installation, high-quality produce and healthy plants are the best support to continue using the new technology.
International collaboration is crucial in the initial implementation. The "Breatahbel Sand" technology was invented in China and was used in many applications. However, it is important to have on-site guidance to ensure the installation is done correctly. We found there are minor adjustments needed to fit the site-specific needs.
In addition, we realized that local manufacturing of the Breathable Sand is very important to reduce the shipping and transportation costs. UAE has abundant aeolian sand resources, which can be used to produce Breathable Sand locally. Building a sand-treatment and coating factory in UAE is planed for 2023 to reduce the costs.
A temple tree, jasmine, a coconut tree, roses, and six varieties of hibiscus, are in full bloom in a home garden in Dubai, which don’t grow in the desert environment normally. Thanks to the "Breathable Sand" technology, water is saved and also plants grow healther.
* A collaborative partnership between South Africa’s Dake Group and the Rechsand Technology Group from China was formed. The sand was partially donated from China, and the shipping and construction costs were covered by the Dake group. A common goal on the need for new sustainable technologies enables this collaboration.
* Traning is needed even for small projects since this is a completely new technology for the region. An engineer from China has traveled to the site to ensure the correct installation.
Community Outreach and Stewardship: JA Hotel Tree Planting
Dake Rechsand, JA Hotels in tie-up to plant Ghaf trees
http://www.ttnworldwide.com/
Hotel Employee Planting Trees Using Breathable Sand
Hotelier
Goumbook and JA Hotels & Resorts have planted a total of 20 Ghaf saplings in Dubai’s resort, backing the ‘Give a Ghaf’ campaign to conserve the threatened indigenous plant. Local hotel managers and employees planted trees using the new "Breathable Sand" technology to reduce irrigation water usage.
* Initial contacts were started after a local green-technology conference, which allows Breatahbels Sand scientists/engineers to meet with the JA Hotel manager team.
* JA Hotels & Resorts is Dubai’s most sustainable 5-star resort. The partnership is forged by good collaboration and Hotel's need for new water-saving technologies. Some small demonstration sites (See School Tree Planting and Home Gardening building blocks) also provided confidence in JA Hotel in using this technology.
JA Hotels & Resorts is Dubai’s most sustainable 5-star resort. The management team initially has some concerns about the tree performance using this new technology, since this is completely new to them. Good communication and other case studies were provided to JA Hotels which paved the way for the project's success, especially local case studies, and demonstration projects (see other building blocks).
Environmental Education: UAE Dwight School Tree Planting
School Student Education Opportunities
mid-east.info
Dwight School Dubai students create and execute sustainable tree planting drive on campus
The Middle East North Africa Financial Network, Inc. (MENAFN)
Dwight School is a leading international school with campuses on three continents. In 2021, the Dubai campus has successfully used the water-wise and sustainable ‘Breathable Sand’ solution offered in water conservation and desert farming, as part of a tree planting drive on its campus.
This site also is used for education and demonstration purposes.
* Tree planting using water-saving technologies is part of Dwight School's efforts. Good collaboration between the school and the sand technology firm is critical.
* External investment, support from key stakeholders, and initial in-kind donation are needed to donate sand to the school.
* With little guidance, middle-school-aged students can plan and implement the program mostly by themselves. We found training is still important which was provided by the sand scientists and school teachers prior to the tree-planting event.
* No need to worry about the size of the project. School projects are small, but all gained lots of discussions among students and media. It also served as a demonstration site for visitors.
* Besides lessons in the classroom, students need hands-on experience in implementing breakthrough technologies.
* And the projects will continue to grow, as more students get interested in plant care and technologies that influence sustainability. Since the first project finished in Dwight School, there are more than a handful of local schools that have also used the same technology. Dwight School International has also expressed interest in buying the treated sands in larger projects on campuses in the USA.
