The global climate changes that are impacting the planet have contributed to rising global temperatures, which, in turn, have affected crop production, leading to an increase in prices. Furthermore, the rising temperatures have led to an increased rate of forest fires, which diminishes the Earth’s vegetation cover.
This situation calls for the expansion of green spaces, which serve as the lungs of cities and countries. Green areas also play a social role in the lives of residents, offering large recreational spaces for people to enjoy nature and spend peaceful holidays. This, in turn, helps reduce stress and increases the productivity of nations.
Green Spaces in Cities: An Urgent Need
Green spaces within cities are among the most important considerations in urban planning. According to some studies, the per capita share of green space in a city (calculated by dividing the total green space by the number of city residents) should not be less than 9 square meters per person. Moreover, these green areas should be open and accessible to every citizen within a 300-meter radius of their home, according to a World Health Organization report.
Green spaces in cities contribute to improving air quality and reducing pollution caused by industrial equipment and transportation. They act as natural air filters and help lower temperatures in open spaces. Many cities lacking sufficient green spaces suffer from the phenomenon of urban heat islands, where temperatures inside urban communities rise significantly compared to rural areas. This is due to increased human activities that contribute to temperature elevation, thereby exacerbating global warming and increasing energy consumption.
Additionally, green spaces provide a natural refuge for residents, reducing general stress and anxiety, enhancing productivity, and improving behavior. They also create greater opportunities for engaging in sports and cultural activities, which strengthen community awareness against destructive ideas and improve public health. Green spaces are highly effective in combating pollution from industrial machinery, transportation, and other sources.
Green Spaces: An Overview of Cairo
Cairo suffers from a lack of sufficient green spaces for its residents. The per capita share of green space in Cairo is about 1.5 square meters, which represents only 15% of the globally recommended area mentioned in the reports cited above. Moreover, the development and expansion of road networks to meet traffic demands have further reduced the amount of green space within neighborhoods, which had previously contributed to lowering temperatures and provided open recreational spaces. Between 2017 and 2020, Cairo lost approximately 910,000 square meters of green space.
Cairo has 54 public parks, but they are not evenly distributed to serve all areas as needed (see Map 1). For instance, the island of Zamalek contains seven public parks, while districts like Matariya, Torah, and Marg have no public parks at all. Additionally, the open green spaces available to the public that do not fall under the “public parks” category are extremely limited and almost non-existent in some areas.
Therefore, the city of Cairo is in dire need of increasing its open green spaces and preserving the remaining green areas, although this endeavor faces several challenges.
Expanding Green Spaces: Ongoing Challenges
Egypt faces a significant challenge in terms of insufficient water resources. The country’s water needs amount to approximately 114 billion cubic meters annually, while the total available water resources stand at 59 billion cubic meters, derived from the Nile, groundwater, and rainfall. To address this gap, the state resorts to solutions such as desalinating seawater and treating wastewater. The country also recaptures water lost in the soil by reusing agricultural water through drainage networks. These networks consist of perforated pipes placed in the soil beneath agricultural areas, which collect excess water that plants do not absorb and send it to treatment plants to be reused for irrigation.
Another major challenge lies in maintaining the sustainability of gardens and open green areas through continuous operation and maintenance. Green areas require near-daily upkeep, such as trimming, pruning, and replacing damaged plants, alongside fertilization plans, ensuring the efficiency of irrigation networks, and scheduling irrigation to meet plant needs (due to Egypt’s hot climate and scarce rainfall, automated irrigation systems are essential). Additionally, pest and rodent control plans are necessary, as well as ongoing maintenance of flooring and nighttime lighting. These operations require constant funding and maintenance contracts, which increase the operating costs of public parks and green spaces.
The Role of the State in Expanding Green Spaces
The Egyptian government must adopt a specialized strategy to expand green spaces within cities in light of these current challenges. This could begin with planting low-water-consumption plants to cover larger areas with minimal water usage. It is also essential to extend agricultural drainage networks across all green areas in Egypt and to mandate real estate developers to install these networks in their projects to conserve water. Furthermore, it is crucial to recommend not planting fruit-bearing trees in open green spaces accessible to the public, such as parks and gardens. The use of treated water for irrigating fruit-bearing plants comes with specific conditions, including treatment standards and restrictions on certain crops. This could necessitate stricter monitoring, which would increase the operational costs of these green spaces, threatening their sustainability. Fruit-bearing trees also require special and costly care to ensure public health and safety.
The Egyptian government must also preserve existing green spaces and trees as part of its urban development plans. Trees take years to regrow to their former size and require costly care and irrigation. Removing green areas exacerbates global warming and raises temperatures, which could take years for newly planted vegetation to mitigate. Additionally, many of these trees have adapted to their surroundings, with their roots absorbing water without human intervention, especially in areas near the Nile River.
Conclusion
The challenges facing Egypt’s green spaces are substantial, including water shortages and the need for urban expansion in densely populated areas, while simultaneously increasing green spaces and finding ways to meet water demands without burdening citizens. Flexible and innovative solutions are required to create an effective balance that serves society while preserving its resources.