CAIRO: Cairenes may soon spot lemon and mango trees and tomato plants on the tops of the Education and Scientific Research ministries.
The initiative, financed by the Scientific Research Academy, has been implemented on top of both ministries as an experimental project aimed to be generalized to all governmental utilities and houses.
Plants grown on the roof of the Scientific Research Academy
The project aims to utilize building roofs as training centers for university graduates and unemployed youth.
“The project is productive and inexpensive,” the head of the Scientific Research Academy Mahmoud Sakr told Youm7, adding that there is an ongoing study to inform residents about the economic feasibility of rooftop gardening.
Plants on the rooftop of the Scientific Research Academy
The academy has planted summer vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant andmolokhia, and for the winter, it is planning to plant lettuce, cabbage and other seasonal vegetables and fruits.
Environmental dimension
Caption: Thriving greens on the roof of the Scientific Research Academy’s
In addition to the economic usefulness of the project, it has an environmental dimension, Sakr said, explaining that “roofs, which are used to store furniture and garbage, and often are a main reason for fires, will be converted to a source of pure oxygen to reduce environmental emissions.”
“The to-be-planted vegetables and fruits are 100 percent clean and are producedwithout any chemicals,” added Sakr.
He also said that the project will adopt a closed irrigation system, in which water irrigates vegetables and the remaining is re-pumped again without any waste.
Fish Farming project
Caption: Head of Scientific Research Academy, Mahmoud Sakr, checks fish tanks
Sakr also said there will be a fish farming project in parallel to the first project of growing vegetables.
Plastic tubs containing tilapia have been placed on top of the academy’s roof as an experiment, and Sakr added that the waste of the fish would be used as natural fertilizer for the plants.
Additional reporting by Mohamed Mahsoub