Trees also die

With so many trees being planted in Cairo, ever wonder why it's so hard to find a spot of shade? Amira El-Noshokaty digs up some answers
As with so many environmental initiatives, the most recent Cairo governorate project aimed at populating Cairo's streets with trees and greenery was launched with the best of intentions. Adopting the slogan "A tree for every citizen", the government has repeatedly stressed its dedication to sprucing up an increasingly dense urban wasteland. The sentiment is noble, but the application is problematic.
According to government figures, last year's plan to plant some 55,500 trees fell far short. Only 22,300 landed on Cairo streets, and of those, a hefty portion did not take kindly to their new environment. According to press reports, 75 per cent of trees planted annually by the government die. Many a wilted sapling baking in the noon sun stand as heart-breaking testament to these pessimistic reports, but Magdi El-Bassiouni, head of the Cairo Authority for Cleanliness and Beautification, is adamant that most trees survive. Turning the blame on the carelessness of the city's inhabitants, El-Bassiouni argues that trees die, there is no one at fault except the people who harm them. "There is no doubt that all trees are liable to accidents, such as cars crashing into them, or the harmful handling of the man of the street," El-Bassiouni said.
Despite El-Bassiouni's indignation, it is hard to see how the legion of parched saplings throughout the city are all victims of harassment. The claim does not sit well with Mohamed Abdel-Megid, head of Al-Baragil nursery, one of the four government-run nurseries that supply trees to Cairo governorate. According to Abdel-Megid, a very high percentage of trees die as a result of insufficient irrigation. "Trees don't ask for water," Abdel-Megid told Al-Ahram Weekly, adding that most district water tanks cannot possibly supply the number of trees they are expected to service. A new sapling needs 40 to 60 litres of water daily in order to survive its first four months of life on the sidewalk. Without the resources to keep these trees alive, one has to wonder about the drive to plant so many of them.
Abdel-Megid noted that the area allotted to each tree on the side walk is a pale shadow of the standard specifications for the planting of urban trees. He explained that each tree should have ample space for its roots to grow -- at least one metre deep and a distance of 20 centimetres between the trunk and the brick border that sets it off from the cement. This border should be raised, so as to trap and store water until the next watering. With these specifications in mind, even a cursory glance of most city trees is enough to see that trees are disadvantaged from the start.
Walking down Ramses Street, it is difficult to distinguish between the palm trees and the lamp posts -- both are gray and lack any sign of vitality. Tree trunks are crammed into tight squares, with no brick border. Responsible for this section of town is the Al-Wayli district office. Mahmoud Hamdi, director of the gardening department at Al-Wayli, told the Weekly "This year 2,500 trees will be planted in our district," adding that in their first few months, newly transplanted trees require between 30 and 40 litres of irrigation water daily (a lower figure than that cited by Abdel-Megid). Full-grown palm trees need between 150 to 200 litres daily. However, the sole water tank available to Hamdi's department can only service some 80 to 100 trees at a time. Considering the thirst of 2,500 trees, no wonder they die.
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