Local tree species ought to be planted on the sides of the new highways as they are more suitable for the environment than the imported varieties, a cross-section of Qataris, including some members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), have told local Arabic daily 'Arrayah'.
The local species will be cheaper to maintain and grow, and can be easily cultivated in local farms and nurseries at a reasonable cost, according to them. In addition, they will be more suitable for the local environment and climate. Planting them beside roads or on the medians will help in preserving and nurturing the endangered species of trees in the country.
Saeed Mubarak al-Rashidi, CMC member, stressed the importance of planting local trees on both sides of the new highways as better options for economic and environmental purposes. He suggested a study should be conducted to find practical ways to cultivate the local varieties of trees such as sidra, palm trees and acacia tortilis trees to beautify the sides of the highways and create beautiful avenues on the coastal roads.
Besides being a means of beautifying the roads and embellishing the general ambience of the country, trees would be practical shields against the drifting sands, and an excellent means to create good shade and help lower the temperature and humidity in summer time, he explained.
Engineer Mohamed al-Mohannadi, an environmental expert, pointed out that a reasonable balance should be maintained in using both local and imported trees for such purpose while keeping in mind the importance of enhancing the number of the locally grown trees and the endangered varieties in particular. He said that the local farms have some initiatives to encourage the planting of locally grown trees at houses, which should be extended to cover roads and highways as well.
Ali Khalaf al-Kubaisi, also a CMC member, stressed that it is necessary to engage local farmers for propagating the locally grown trees and planting them on the sides of highways, as it would help in improving their business and reduce expenses compared to the cost of imported trees. "Some of these local trees are evergreen and can last for many years with limited care, which would reduce the overall cost to maintain them," he said.
Nasser al-Kubaisi, another CMC member, pointed out that since the construction of a good number of new highway projects in the country are already accomplished, trees should be planted as soon as possible to avoid sand drifting on to these roads and to help lower the high temperature in summer.
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