Shenzhen will make green roofs compulsory on all public buildings, according to the city s urban planning, land and resources commission.
Roof greening involves covering part or even all of a building s roof with vegetation. The practice will be mandatory for government-subsidized housing and public buildings in commercial areas such as central Futian District, central Houhai and Qianhai area, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported Friday.
Roof greening of existing public buildings started July. 1.
Cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have taken the lead in roof greening and it is imperative for Shenzhen to accelerate roof greening, said Chen Siping, vice chairman of the municipal political advisory body.
Chen said the practice of greening buildings was conducive to beautifying a city, collecting rainfall, alleviating the urban heat island effect and improving the environment.
A guidebook on city greening has been compiled by the commission, Shenzhen University College of Architecture and Urban Planning and Shenzhen University Urban Planning and Design Research Institute, the paper said.
In another effort to improve the city environment, the water resources bureau has drawn up long-term plans to provide desalinated sea water as the main source of water for Shenzhen.
Shenzhen has limited water resources with a per capita share of water resources of 235.7 cubic meters each year, only one-eighth the national average, the bureau said.
(By Martin Li)
