UAE's Masdar City To Guide Sustainable Urban Planning In 'Region And Beyond' - Minister

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published April 24, 2021 | 11:55 PM

The United Arab Emirates, which is building a sustainable Masdar City in the capital of Abu Dhabi, seeks to reshape global urban planning that would fit in the current climate agenda, the minister of climate change and environment told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2021) The United Arab Emirates, which is building a sustainable Masdar City in the capital of Abu Dhabi, seeks to reshape global urban planning that would fit in the current climate agenda, the minister of climate change and environment told Sputnik.

"Masdar City is one of the world's most sustainable urban developments, and a prime example of how the UAE leverages ideas from the past to shape the future of sustainability ... The lessons learnt from Masdar City stand to inform city-making in the region and beyond," Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi said.

Meaning "source" in Arabic, the Masdar project aims to become a so-called "greenprint" for sustainable urban development, the minister explained.

"To tackle the most pressing challenge in our region - cooling, the city planners took inspiration from old Arab and Mediterranean cities to harness the cooling effects of breeze and shade.

Temperature measurements show that perceived heat can be cooler by as much as 10 degrees Celsius compared to downtown Abu Dhabi," Al Nuami noted.

Abu Dhabi's neighbor, Dubai, is also home to the Sustainable City, which contributes to climate change mitigation through urban farming, use of renewable energy, recycling and widespread electric transportation.

"We continue to advance our work on sustainable built spaces and communities. We have standards in place to enhance the sustainability of new buildings, and our federal and local government authorities are working together to retrofit old buildings with the aim of increasing resource efficiency," the minister added.

The Masdar project was launched in 2006, while the construction of the city began two years later. The completion date has been pushed back to 2030.