This is a common sight in the UAE: lawns being watered in the morning and at midday even at the height of summer. But the practice of using sprinklers during the day in summer, when the evaporation rate is high, should be re-assessed by concerned authorities, according to the Dubai-based non-government organisation Emirates Environmental Group (EEG).
The crux of the problem is up to a third of all water from sprinklers can evaporate in the heat. Instead, experts
suggest giving plants fewer, heavier soakings.
The rate of evaporation depends on several factors.
"An increase of 10°C will approximately double the
rate of evaporation," says Habiba Al Marashi, chairperson of EEG. "Humidity also influences evaporation.
The presence of wind also increases evaporation."
Watering lawns at night may increase the chance of some diseases developing as keeping lawns wet for a long time could promote diseases and affect the health of lawns, she agrees.
"But for areas like the UAE, this is an exception due to the extreme hot weather and high night-time temperatures," she notes. "Water lawns early or late in the day to reduce the amount of evaporation that takes place during hot days. This will allow more water to reach the root zone."
– Shiva Kumar Thekkepat, Feature Writer, Friday
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