Environmental activists in Kuwait are pushing for large scale tree planting to reduce extreme summer heat. The Shamiya Greenhouse project, run by Adeebah Al-Fahad and Nuha Al-Kharafi, has been distributing seedlings and installing drip irrigation in schools and public spaces since 2017. They focus on mangroves and native drought tolerant species that need less water than turf grass. The group says expanding tree cover can lower surface temperatures by up to 4 degrees Celsius, based on a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Kuwait regularly sees temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, with 64 such days recorded in the last decade. Activist Dr Issa Al-Issa says trees cool the environment through transpiration and shade, with shaded areas roughly 15 degrees Celsius cooler than direct sun. He recommends converting parks into small urban forests, planting multiple rows along highways, and creating green buffer zones between residential areas. The Shamiya Greenhouse now runs a self-sustaining nursery that supplies seedlings to schools and public projects across the country.
