By Noor Al Khalifa ~
Bahrain, hitherto the so-longed-for bulwark of urbanity and heritage, boasts transforming in a completely new way—by going green in the way of city forests and eco-parks. Not only does this give the island kingdom an ecological makeover, but, above all, its people, a taste of things to come of urbanity’s sustainability.
Bahrain also initiated mega projects to green Bahrain in the recent past. They were designed with the intent of mitigating the impact of urbanization, decreasing the heat island effects on the island, and increasing biodiversity. Drought-tolerant native urban forests are being developed that can survive in adversity in Bahraini desert terrain and offer natural covered spaces that are ecologically as well as recreative.
Green vision parks such as Al Areen Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden are par excellence examples of above green vision. Not only are these parks preserving the national species of the country, but these are also institutions where the nation’s people along with the foreign tourists are getting educated about the nation’s unique natural heritage. Green infrastructure and water treatment plants are also indications of Bahrain’s high commitment towards environmental preservation.
Apart from that, Bahraini green urbanism is people-centered as it involves people from neighboring schools, green civil society networks of institutions, and local authorities working together and demanding afforestation schemes and undertaking awareness campaigns through an integrated national identity in preserving the natural beauty of the country. Grass-root movements like this include sustainability in living in Bahrain as it offers greenification of the future to future generations.
With every green infrastructure investment, Bahrain’s dividends spill over into environmental benefit. Urban forests clean the air, create cooler microclimates, and construct inviting spaces that encourage physical activity and social interaction. Such point-of-confluence of ecosystem health and human health are turning Bahrain into a Gulf Region gold standard for sustainable urbanism.
For Bahrain, the revelation of the green city is not about environment alone but more so an expression of the nation’s might and determination to exist in unity between nature and advancement and vice versa.
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