The Public Gardens Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment has successfully implemented a field irrigation experiment to reduce water usage by up to 50%.
The experiment followed a scientific approach approved in agriculture studies and field tests for 15 months from September 2014 until December 2015. It aimed at cutting the amount of water used in the irrigation of public gardens by up to 50% while maintaining healthy growth of plants, which would eventually contribute towards increasing green areas throughout the country. The experiment involved monitoring the amount of water used daily to irrigate the plants and the response of plants accordingly. All the phases of the experiment were documented, and the results were analysed using sophisticated methods.
Eventually, the technical committee at the department recommended certain designs for irrigation pipes and networks that could guarantee the flow of adequate amounts of water, especially when the country experiences high temperature in the summer months, in particular during July and August.
The new irrigation standards have already been implemented for three months at the new projects of the department.
