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Washington, Jan. 14 --
The government of Abu Dhabi, in collaboration
with WWF
(World Wide Fund for nature), has announced its
plans for developing the world's most environment
friendly city.
According to a report in
ENN
(Environmental News Network), the scheme for the
"Masdar development", as the proposed city is
called, involves making it the world's first
zero-carbon, zero-waste and car-free city.
The report also said that the planned city would aim
to meet or exceed a set of stringent sustainability
goals established under the
"One Planet Living" programme by WWF.
"The vision of One Planet Living is a world where
people everywhere can lead happy, healthy lives
within their fair share of the Earth's resources.
Masdar gives us a breathtaking insight into this
positive, alternative future," said Pooran Desai OBE,
Technical Director of the One Planet Living
Communities programme.
"In realising the goal of a sustainable future,
Masdar is committed to achieving the One Planet
Living Program's Ten Guiding Principles, covering
issues that range from how waste is dealt with to
the energy performance of the buildings," he added.
The One Planet Living program's 10 guiding
principles of sustainability are: Zero carbon, zero
waste, sustainable transport, sustainable materials,
sustainable food, sustainable water, habitats and
wildlife, culture and heritage, equity and fair
trade, and, health and happiness.
These targets are to be achieved by the time the
Masdar City is completed and fully functioning in
2012.
Photovoltaic panels will generate the electricity
for the six square kilometre city, while cooling
will be provided via concentrated solar power.
Water will be provided through a solar-powered
desalination plant. Landscaping within the city and
crops grown outside the city will be irrigated with
grey water and treated waste water produced by the
city's water treatment plant.
"We hope that Masdar City will prove that
sustainable living can be affordable and attractive
in all aspects of human living - from businesses and
manufacturing facilities to universities and private
homes," said Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, Director of WWF
International's One Planet Living initiative.
"Masdar City will question conventional patterns of
urban development, and set new benchmarks for
sustainability and environmentally friendly design,"
said Dr. Sultan al Jaber, CEO of the Masdar
Initiative.
Courtesy: Asian News International
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