Parks in al ain, UAE: Geographical distribution, opportunities, and challenges

Parks in Al Ain city, UAE, face two problems: water and spatial distribution. Water consumption is increasing dramatically in the city as a result of increased population and the activities of agriculture and industry. Maintaining parks and saving water in an arid environment is a challenging task. This study examines water consumption by parks and the use of remote sensing to estimate it. Green areas in parks were calculated from remote-sensing images, and the areas were correlated with water consumption. The study also investigates the spatial distribution of parks in Al Ain in relation to population (equity), and demonstrates the use of GIS as an analytical tool and the value of remote sensing in assessing the pattern of relative household income of residents near the parks. Three evaluation indicators were used: number of cars, size of houses, and occurrence of home gardens. The appearance of home gardens on a large scale is considered a new phenomenon in Al Ain and reflects social and economic changes in society as well as representing an additional water-consumption challenge. Recommendations are made on how Al Ain can provide a model for integrating parks with greenoases and natural valleys to reduce water consumption. The study's findings have implications for diverse parks departments within the city and cities around the world that have similar setting.