Butterfly garden plan to beautify Bahrain

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A desert garden dedicated to blooming flowers acting as a butterfly sanctuary could become a permanent attraction at Salman City as Bahrain aims to mirror a magical project already operational in the Gulf.

The Northern Municipal Council agreed to submit the proposal to Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry in a vote yesterday.

Blueprint

One tentative project blueprint includes a walkway over an area totalling 27,718sqkm.

The BD500,000 project would become a green oasis in the middle of residential neighbourhoods in the northern city as well as act as a tourism magnet.

“This proposal is the first of its kind in the country,” said technical committee supervisor and engineer Ifthikhar Al Hujairi, presenting the proposal to the council.

“A flower garden could contribute a lot to Salman City, beautify it, and honour its namesake, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister,” she said.

“It is something everyone could enjoy, especially children. Building a park of this kind would help diversify tourist attractions in the country and attract visitors from across the GCC and the Arab world.

“Not to mention, a new tourist attraction would be a potential source of revenue for the country. It would also contribute to re-forestation and the creation of more green spaces.

“Another benefit is that the park could also help educate people about the importance of butterflies to the environment, as there is no place in Bahrain devoted to them.”

Butterflies play an important role in pollinating flowers, particularly flowers that have a strong scent, are red or yellow in colour and produce a large amount of nectar. Nectar is an important component of a butterfly’s diet.

An abundance of butterflies is often an indication that an ecosystem is thriving. This is due to the fact that butterflies are an important component of a food chain, as predators and prey. Adult butterflies and caterpillars are an important source of food for other animals such as birds.

Species

Some species also provide a natural form of pest control. For example, the harvester butterfly eats aphids while it is in its caterpillar form.

Because they are cold-blooded creatures and typically need warm weather to survive, you are more likely to find them living in warm and tropical climates.

Pictures and videos from the Dubai Butterfly Garden were shown in the council meeting as an example of what could be developed in the kingdom.

The idea was put forward by councillor Mohammed Al Dossari, whose consistency is Budaiya, Jasra and the coast of Hamala.

Two locations on the island were suggested, one in two of north-western sections and one in the eastern section.