Sustainability and Water Management of Public Gardens in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Preservation of water resources and sustainable design of public parks are crucial aspects of a living city's urban identity, especially in hot arid regions. In Abu Dhabi, landscape design is changing from classical style gardens to desert landscaping, which integrates more organically with existing monuments and is sustainable in terms of the scarcity of water. Sustainable landscaping design merges two aspects of UN's eleventh Sustainable Development Goal, to promote sustainable urbanization and to protect cultural and natural heritage. An important component, which becomes even more critical for Gulf cities, is that due to the heat, people's activities are restricted to indoor spaces and hence public spaces promote inclusivity and participation of a city's population. The research approach emphasizes cross-disciplinary integration of design theory and water management principles, investigating the evolving role of vegetation in the enhancement of public parks in Abu Dhabi. Water budget calculations were conducted, indicating water savings of over 57% for a redesigned desert park of equivalent areal size compared to one with a traditional European garden. This is especially critical for the Gulf region, where water is a limiting resource, and even desalinated water is utilized to maintain public parks. The authors confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere. The paper should be of interest to readers in the areas of landscape architecture, landscape planners, and urban planners.