NEW INITIATIVE TO BRING NATURE BACK INTO THE CITIES

The Nipe Fagio Executive Director Ms. Ana Rocha (right) showing journalists a vertical garden that is made from wood frames, steel grills, pallets, composts and plastic bottles as part of the Interact-Bio project. The conference was held in Dar es salaam yesterday.

The Nipe Fagio Community Mobilization Officer, Carlos Mdemu speaking at a press conference in Dar es Salaam on raising awareness of the benefits of nature in the cities of Dar es Salaam and Arusha and Moshi as part of the Interact-Bio Project.

The Nipe Fagio Executive Director Ms. Ana Rocha (right) holds a poster indicating the benefits of nature in the cities of Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Moshi as part of the Interact- Bio project. Left is The Nipe Fagio IT Officer, Olarip Tomito.

Dar es salaam, 26 September, 2018 - The Integrated Action on Biodiversity (Interact-Bio) under the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) will participate at the Construction Industry Fair which kicks off tomorrow in Dar es salaam to showcase innovative ways of integrating nature in urban settings under the theme “Nature Hubs”.

The Nipe Fagio Executive Director Ms. Ana Rocha said today that the Interact-Bio project has constructed a vertical garden, a compost bin and an insect hotel for Dar es Salaam residents to learn how they can integrate nature in urban settings to reap the benefits of bio-diversity. “We are working with City Councils to raise awareness on the benefits of nature in the cities of Dar es Salaam and Arusha as well as the Moshi municipality. We want people to see the value of having nature in the city and how nature in an urban setting can mitigate problems like excessive heat and other environmental and climatic conditions”.

She said a vertical garden is a garden made from wood frames, steel grills, pallets, composts, and plastic bottles or pots to grow flowers and vegetables on walls and other support systems as an alternative to growing plants on the ground. This innovative technique can be used to create living screens between different areas, providing space for nature in urban settings while allowing city residents to maximize usage of limited space.

Rocha said the vertical gardens have numerous benefits including reduction of urban heat and smog, cleaning outside air of pollutants and dust and offsetting the carbon footprint of and fuel emissions. She said vertical gardens insulates and cools buildings, acts as a sound proofing barrier and creates habitats for birds and beneficial insects thus playing a vital role in increasing biodiversity and can be used for growing food in urban settings, creating sustainable and local control of food sources.

She said the insect hotel is a manmade structure created to provide shelter to attract beneficial insects in the garden in order to increase biodiversity, pollination and ecosystem productivity. “We have built an insect hotel for butterflies which we will use to showcase how insects play an important role in our daily lives particularly their role in helping to break down and dispose wastes. Insects are also the food source for birds and other animals.”

Compost bins can be made from wood, old buckets, reused metal bins or wood pallets where food waste is disposed and mixed with dry leaves and paper. It allows people to use food waste to increase soil fertility and home grow their vegetables while reducing the amount of solid waste that needs to be taken to the dumpsite.

At the construction expo visitors will be able to see examples of these nature hubs with illustrative posters explaining more about the benefits of integrating nature in cities.