LANDSCAPING

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

Chandra Dake,

Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Dake Group, on how sand technology hopes to solve the water-scarcity puzzle

Following the pandemic outbreak, the use of the term “sustainable construction”, which had been on the back burner for many years, has gathered a sense of urgency. This development is a result of people’s newfound awareness of sustainability and wellness, particularly within the context of the built environment. Even the UN has escalated its push for sustainable construction, defining it as developments that meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

However, the needs in question are not uniform across geographies. Every location has issues that require more attention than others. In the Middle East, sustainable construction has an acute need-gap in terms of water usage - from the early construction phase to day-today community use later on. This calls for effective conservation strategies. But these strategies cannot connote compromises, or neglect of other “needs” - particularly natural greenery, gardens, and green cover.

The pandemic has fuelled ecoconsumerism and green practices. Especially in multi-family facilities and community-driven developments. Natural greenery has shifted from being a unique value proposition to becoming a “musthave”. So, sustainable construction is now about achieving water-wise landscaping as much as it is about conserving water wherever possible. And the search for answers has led to sand technology and affiliated products, which are poised to solve the Middle East water scarcity puzzle.

Breathable Sand enabled water-wise landscaping By definition, water-wise landscaping revolves around practices aimed at reducing the irrigation required for landscaping. However, in the Middle East, landscaping runs into even more challenges; including soil salinity, arid climate, and high fertilizer requirement. Taking stock of these challenges, Breathable Sand based products have been developed to make water-wise landscaping a reality in the Middle East.

So what is Breathable Sand? It is a water-retaining, air-permeable medium that enables landscapers to grow lush natural greenery, while reducing their water input by nearly 80% compared to conventional practices. Additionally, its “breathability” function translates to efficient oxygen supply to plant roots, enabling optimal yield. In other words, Breathable Sand-powered water-wise landscaping consumes significantly less water, can also be implemented as organic gardening, and is affordable due to the primary material - typical desert sand - being abundantly available in the region. Therefore, it ticks all the sustainability boxes (social, economic, and environmental), in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). >>>

“Sustainable construction is about achieving water-wise landscaping as much as it is about conserving water wherever possible. And the search for answers has led to sand technology and affiliated products, which are poised to solve the Middle East water scarcity puzzle.”

Breathable Sand based gardening can be implemented at any location, at any scale, and by developers of all sizes. Early adopters include individuals who have achieved sustainable home gardens, as well as institutional practitioners who have grown large swathes of greenery in parks, playgrounds, and near commercial establishments - all gaining an earlymover advantage in green construction.

A few have taken their sustainability initiatives to another level, by also embedding Breathable Sand technology based rainwater harvesting systems into their projects - particularly those under construction.

Decentralized rainwater harvesting The “air-permeability” function of Breathable Sand makes it ideal for the development of decentralized rainwater harvesting systems - structures built using air-permeable products available in the form of tiles, pavers, and kerbstones. These are used to build underground reservoirs of any size. During rainfall, the porous surface absorbs rainwater, filters out sediments, and stores the water inside. The built-in “air-permeable” functionality helps keep the water fresh for years, without requiring chemical or electricity-based treatment.

Unlike expensive, centralized rainwater harvesting systems, which require periodic maintenance and occupy vast over-ground space, these decentralized systems can be deployed under construction sites and common areas, as per convenience and at low cost. In application, developers can not only avoid flooding, and the associated damage and repair costs, but also harness the purest form of water in nature: Rainwater.

With effective sloping and redirection mechanisms, developers can harvest large amounts of rainwater, for initial construction use and thereafter for community usage including landscaping. Surface runoff, after watering the gardens, can also be redirected to the underground reservoirs, thereby inducing circularity in the system.

So, all in all, Breathable Sand technology helps achieve water-wise landscaping, as well as enabling rainwater harvesting through decentralized systems - offering end-to-end solutions that reduce water usage for stakeholders across the construction value chain, while enhancing the value of the property.

Such comprehensive solutions are of great consequence to the Middle East, where the construction industry is expected to grow by 4.1%(1) by 2022. And considering the majority of developments are greenfield – with a wide scope for early adoption of Breathable Sand technology and its affiliated products - the Middle East’s chances of bringing its entire construction industry in line with its sustainability goals are looking bright. Since the rise in eco-consumerism, and emphasis on wellness are global phenomena, the shift to sustainable construction could have a knock-on impact on FDI flows, and the overall competitiveness of the sector, in the regional market.

Chandra Dake is the Executive Chairman and Group CEO of the Dake Group, and an advocate of Innovation and Sustainability, with a Food Security and Water Conservation focus. Mr. Dake reconciles a strong entrepreneurial drive with a philanthropic spirit, which has helped him conceptualize and implement socially conscious and sustainable business models, over a 21 year career as a successful entrepreneur. From beginnings in IT consulting and niche Medical AI, Mr. Dake’s business interests have blossomed to include sectors such as Agriculture, Energy, Commodity Trading and Sustainable Technologies. His business approach is anchored in strong ethics and values, which is evident in his efforts to implement inclusive growth models for underprivileged community farmers, and scaling transformative Desert Farming and Water Conservation solutions.