DUBAI // University students planted 130 trees on Saturday at Al Qusais landfill site in Dubai.
Inspired by the hard work of young eco-leader Simran Vedvyas and her Green Spaces – New Life initiative, more than 45 young people took part in the event.
“There is a need for environmental education in the UAE today, and volunteering can make a difference to the whole community,” said Majid Jamal Al Falasi, an Emirati volunteer.
The students from American University in the Emirates were supported by SynergY, an organisation of students from the UAE and India, Dubai Municipality’s waste management department and Green Energy Solutions and Sustainability (Gess), a sustainable energy company in Dubai.
The students were also given a tour of the gas flaring facility at Al Qusais.
Simran, a student at Universal American School, praised the support she had received from those involved in the initiative, “all of whom understand that renewable energy solutions are all being discussed globally but we strongly need to not just discuss it but do it”.
Gess built the landfill’s gas flaring system, which runs 24-hours a day seven days a week producing 1 megawatt of electricity that is used to run the flare operation and site offices.
It is now self-sustaining as it does not use any external power source. Dubai Municipality aims to generate 15 to 20 megawatts of power from landfill gas in the next phase of the project.
nhanif@thenational.ae
