ISLAMABAD: Urbanization is creating serious environmental issues like poor air quality and heat waves, and the resultant high energy costs. Green walls have come as a permanent solution to these problems, according to WealthPK.
Prof Dr Aamir Nawaz from the Department of Horticulture of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, told WealthPK that our cities suffer from environmental issues due to a lack of green vegetative spaces.
Greenery is hard to grow in a highly congested area with buildings, so we have developed the living green wall, designed to grow plants vertically under the local environmental conditions. This technology creates an indoor or outdoor living area using small plants, usually creeping and climbing varieties suitable for the local climate. The plants used in technology have a smaller size, providing a larger green area and resulting in the production of considerable amounts of oxygen.
He said installing green living walls could enhance greenery in the urban areas, which are often constrained by the size of the building plots. This technology provides vertical gardening opportunities on empty walls and multi-storey buildings. Both individuals and authorities can benefit from this technology by adopting it into their surroundings.
Green walls are natural air filters, creating a cleaner environment that improves overall health and well-being. People are often exposed to air toxins such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and benzene in the indoor environment. Living green walls metabolize harmful toxins while releasing oxygen into the air — much like indoor plants but on a much larger scale, Aamir added.
He said both interior and exterior living green walls function to cool the air in the warmer summer months through a process known as “evapotranspiration.”
The exterior living green walls can reduce the wall surface temperatures by as much as 50°F, resulting in significant energy savings and air conditioning costs. The winter months see the added advantage of building insulation and the reduced energy costs that come with it.
One of the lesser-known benefits of living green walls is that they can reduce noise levels in buildings. Plants have been used near roads and highways to reduce noise in residential areas. Green walls expand on this concept as vegetation ‘naturally’ blocks high-frequency sounds. Additionally, the supporting structure can help diminish low-frequency noise. Green walls provide extra insulation with air between the plants and the wall. They also reduce noise levels by reflecting, refracting and absorbing acoustic energy, Aamir added.
Living green walls make a breath-taking environment. They are equally impressive in appearance. Those who enter a facility are greeted by an oxygen-rich lush, green environment.
