JEDDAH — Environmental experts have blamed Jeddah Municipality's indiscriminate removal of trees for this year's record rise in temperature, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported. Dr. Mohamed Tajuddin, member of the World Green Building Council, said trees in the city's different areas are being cut down, left in the streets for weeks, then disposed of in dumps. He said cutting down a tree is a punishable act in many countries around the world. Tajuddin cited Qatar and the UAE, who have adopted international standards for forestation. In Dubai, he said, local regulations stipulate that 30 percent of the space on each building's roof has to be planted. He said tree removals in Jeddah have significantly contributed to a rise in temperature levels. Imad Al-Sulami, another environmental expert, said that forestation helps decrease electricity usage by 20 percent. Trees absorb heat, and provide oxygen and natural shade for cars to park in. This decreases the use of electricity for air-conditioning, Al-Sulami explained. He claimed that Jeddah Municipality needs to plant 100,000 trees to afforest the city. He stated that the scarcity of green space in the city has contributed to the record increase in temperature this year. The municipality, Al-Sulami stated, has given unconvincing reasons for cutting down tens of thousands of trees. These include damage to sidewalks, electricity cables and transmission of diseases. The municipality should at least provide an alternative, Al-Sulami argued, pointing out that there were many native heavy-leaved, weak-rooted trees that can act as an alternative to the myoporum pictum tree that the municipality is accusing of damaging sidewalks and electricity cables. He explained that transmission of diseases attributed to trees is actually down to wrongful practices like not using enough pesticides, fertilizers, or sufficiently purified water. Al-Sulami accused the municipality of working to deforest the city and cited the new Tahliya walkway, which is over a kilometer long and almost completely devoid of trees. Sami Nawwar, Jeddah Municipality spokesman, said that the municipality has only cut down 180 trees, all from the myoporum pictum species. These are being replaced with native date and coconut palm trees, Nawwar said. He said the municipality does not cut down trees unless they are damaging the sidewalks or electricity cables.
