KAUST researchers highlight the importance of tailoring urban greening initiatives for specific contexts, with a focus on challenges and solutions for the Middle East. © 2024 KAUST; Xavier Pita.

Researchers propose a pathway to create sustainable greening initiatives in the Middle East using existing technologies.

One size does not fit all when it comes to urban greening initiatives. This is the message from KAUST scientists Pei-Ying Hong, Himanshu Mishra, Daniele Daffonchio and Matthew McCabe in a recently published comment in the journal Nature Water [1]. The authors highlight the critical role of water in restoration of degraded lands while proposing a pathway for greening initiatives in a Middle East context.

“Urban greening will need to be a major part of efforts to deliver more sustainable water use in the Middle East while also enhancing livability,” says Hong, who leads a team developing energy efficient wastewater-treatment processes.

In many parts of the world, large-scale afforestation can be used to restore degraded landscapes. However, in the Middle East — one of the most water-stressed regions in the world — the use of large-scale tree planting is limited by the availability of fresh water.

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