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In line with the Paris Agreement, Sharjah Emirate participates with the other emirates in the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative. This initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the rise in global temperature to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050.
Therefore, the Sharjah Government is keen to plan and implement practices and policies that contribute to climate neutrality. It focuses on the main sectors that generate carbon emissions, namely road transportation and electricity generation and consumption.
Many measures have been taken in Sharjah to achieve climate neutrality, such as promoting energy efficiency in public places, supporting research in environmental technologies, and limiting excessive energy consumption in households, organisations, and businesses. This is achieved by applying graded consumption tariffs, using sustainable transportation, and installing charging stations for electric vehicles in urban areas.
One of the key objectives of the Sharjah Sustainable City project is to create a society based on environmentally friendly practices and zero-emissions renewable energy sources, which aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in collaboration with Diamond Developers, Sharjah Sustainable City in Al Rahmaniya area represents the first sustainable residential community in Sharjah.
The project aims to preserve the rights of the next generation to live free from negative impacts, without compromising the current need of residents to live a quality life. It also offers research and practical learning opportunities in various sustainability disciplines.
Sharjah Sustainable City, constructed over an area of 7.2 million square metres, consists of 1250 residential units and other leisure, health, service, and business facilities, as well as many other amenities.
It is worth mentioning that the project is being implemented in four phases, with the final phase expected to be completed by 2025.
There are many environmentally friendly activities in Sharjah Sustainable City, such as the irrigation of green areas with 100% treated wastewater, the use of clean transportation, the production of almost 90,000 kilograms of chemical-free vegetables through vertical farming in greenhouses and, last but not least, the recycling of waste.
In addition, Sharjah Sustainable City provides many other advantages in various aspects, most notably social sustainability, which is reflected in the provision of public facilities, such as sports facilities and prayer rooms, and the development of social communication programs through educational activities. It also provides environmental sustainability, which is represented by the provision of charging stations for electric vehicles and solar panels on the roofs. Economic sustainability is another advantage, embodied in saving up to 50% on water and electricity bills.
Sharjah Emirate is a regional leader in adopting waste treatment practices. It witnessed the establishment of an environmental services corporation called BEEAH, which specialises in the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste in various regions of the emirate.
In collaboration with Sharjah’s government, BEEAH aims to reduce the waste reaching designated landfills through several measures like waste separation at source, the use of intelligent waste collection systems, and materials recovery through separation techniques.
In this context, it is worth mentioning that BEEAH collects about 2.3 million tons of waste from nearly one million households in the emirate and recycles about 70% of solid waste instead of disposing of it in landfills, which causes environmental damage.
Other sustainability and environmental protection projects in the emirate of Sharjah include the Sharjah Waste to Energy plant, inaugurated by the Emirates Waste to Energy company, a partnership between Masdar and BEEAH known in the Middle East for its contribution to environmental protection.
This advanced facility treats around 300,000 tons of solid waste annually by incinerating it into heat, which powers an electric turbine generating around 27 megawatts of electrical energy.
This energy is fed into the emirate of Sharjah’s main power grid. In addition, the gas produced from the waste incineration gets treated in the plant before it is released.
In Sharjah Emirate, many efforts are being made to protect the environment and the various species of living creatures. These efforts include the establishment of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority, which aims to protect wildlife and its biodiversity on land, in the sea, and in the various natural habitats in the emirate.
Other objectives for this authority include preserving ecosystems and endangered species and revitalising degraded lands.
The emirate of Sharjah also attaches great importance to nature reserves that provide a biodiverse environment and protect habitats and species.
Nature reserves make up around 4.6% of Sharjah Emirate’s total area and are characterised by a geographical diversity that includes coastlines, marine areas, valleys, sand dunes, geological formations, and wetlands.
Many examples of natural reserves are present in Sharjah Emirate, such as Sir Bo Na’air Island, Kalba Conservation Reserve, Khor Kalba Mangrove Centre, Wasit Nature Reserve, and Al Dhelaima Protected Area.
The emirate of Sharjah is a pioneer in achieving sustainability through local food production. This approach offers significant environmental and economic benefits, including reducing emissions from food transportation, minimizing the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture, and promoting sustainable economic activities in areas outside major cities.
Further, advances in agricultural technology have contributed to the expansion of agricultural activity and the acceleration of sustainability in Sharjah, particularly in the natural oases of the central region, including Al Dhaid and Mleiha.
Exemplary local food production projects in Sharjah include the greenhouses project in Al Dhaid, which spans 26 greenhouses over 10,610 square metres and aims to produce high-quality organic fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the wheat farm project in Mleiha focuses on reducing the emirate's reliance on imported wheat.
One of Sharjah's key practices in sustainability and environmental protection is wastewater treatment, which also involves recovering various useful by-products from the treatment process.
Qatra, a collaboration between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and the BESIX Group, spearheads this initiative. Its goal is to oversee public infrastructure management in the emirate, align with Sharjah's commitment to global sustainability standards, and drive environmental, social, and economic progress across the region.
Qatra Water Solutions manages multiple wastewater treatment facilities in Sharjah, with a significant focus on Al Saja's Bio Refinery. This plant processes approximately 33,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, collected from different areas of the emirate via tankers. Additionally, Qatra oversees a nursery that utilizes the treated water and a water recycling plant, where the treated water is repurposed for industries such as chemicals, wood processing, metals, paper, textiles, and others.
In Sharjah Emirate, wastewater treatment yields bioproducts like dried sludge, which is nutrient-rich and has a high calorific value. This sludge serves as fertilizer in agriculture and a coal substitute in cement plants.
Another bioproduct is phosphorus, essential for various products including metals and fertilizers. The process also generates methane gas, utilized for energy and heat generation.
References
[1] sfd.gov.ae, Emirate of Sharjah Sovereign Sustainable Financing Framework February 2023
[2] u.ae, UAE Net Zero 2050
[3] portal.shjmun.gov.ae, بلدية مدينة الشارقة ... الشارقة درة الاتحاد
[4] sheikhdrsultan.ae, سلطان يفتتح مشروع الصوبات الزراعية بمدينة الذيد
[5] masdar.ae, Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Project
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