Al Ain City Municipality has completed a 14-kilometer windbreak development project along Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Road, planting 1,807 Ghaf trees to help reduce sand encroachment, protect the road and surrounding areas, and support environmental sustainability.Eng. Al Yazia Rashid Al Neyadi, Project Manager, said the project is part of Al Ain Municipality’s efforts to enhance vegetation cover and establish green belts that serve as natural windbreaks. These contribute to reducing wind speed, limiting sand movement and encroachment, improving the safety of road users, and protecting nearby facilities and residential areas.Al Neyadi added that the project relies on the cultivation of Ghaf trees because of their strong ability to adapt to the desert environment, helping to create effective windbreaks.The project is supported by a modern, high-efficiency irrigation system that ensures the optimal use of water resources, in addition to operation and maintenance programs that help sustain vegetation cover and maintain its density.Al Neyadi explained that technical studies indicate the windbreaks can reduce sand encroachment by between 70% and 90% in areas behind them, depending on the density of vegetation cover and prevailing wind directions. This contributes to reducing sand accumulation on the road, minimizing the impact of sandstorms in surrounding areas, and lowering noise levels.
