Salalah plans next phase of flood-control works

SALALAH: Salalah is preparing to launch the second phase of stormwater drainage works as Dhofar Municipality steps up efforts to strengthen flood resilience across the city, where rapid urban development has increased the concentration of homes, roads and infrastructure exposed to heavy rainfall and runoff.
Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Baowain, Director-General of Projects and Technical Affairs at Dhofar Municipality, said Salalah currently has between 450 and 460 stormwater culverts, including around 130 pipe culverts and 320-330 box culverts.
Individual culvert structures have between one and 39 openings, reflecting varying drainage requirements across the city.
Speaking at the Water Resources Sustainability: Water and Climate Change seminar in Salalah, Baowain said preparations were under way for the second phase of stormwater drainage works in the Wilayat of Salalah. The cost and implementation timetable for the next phase were not disclosed.
The municipality is increasingly incorporating side drainage into new road projects to reduce surface-water accumulation and improve the flow of runoff away from carriageways.
It is also moving towards automated pumping systems in areas prone to water accumulation. Under the approach outlined by Baowain, pumps would activate automatically once water reaches predetermined levels, reducing reliance on manual operation during periods of heavy rainfall.
The wider strategy includes drainage channels and corridors, collection basins, storage and detention dams, smart pumping stations, nature-based solutions and early-warning systems.
Protection of natural wadis is another key component. The presentation highlighted erosion-protection works covering six wadis, while Baowain cautioned that interventions described as wadi ‘cleaning’ could become counterproductive if they alter the natural width, capacity or behaviour of a watercourse.
Such changes can affect the movement of floodwater and potentially shift risks to surrounding areas, making the preservation of natural drainage corridors increasingly important in urban planning.

The challenge is becoming more complex as Salalah expands. Baowain pointed to cases where buildings had been constructed below the level of adjoining roads, making them more vulnerable when rainwater accumulates.
The municipality is therefore working on an initiative to assess ground levels and filling requirements on a plan-by-plan basis, taking local topography and drainage conditions into account.
Baowain also used images of Salalah from the early 1970s to illustrate how the city’s exposure has changed. Areas that once had limited development now accommodate multi-storey buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
While the underlying natural drainage landscape remains, considerably more residential, commercial and public assets now occupy the urban area. This gives flood resilience an increasingly important economic dimension, with weaknesses in drainage or land-use planning potentially exposing substantial investments to damage during severe weather.
Baowain’s presentation showed around RO 47 million invested in flood-protection dams, alongside a RO 2.6-million wadi-protection project and around RO 4 million in stormwater drainage works.
The RO 47-million dam investment covers the Wadi Anaar and Wadi Adounab flood-protection dams, inaugurated in 2025. Together, the two dams provide close to 100 million cubic metres of storage capacity.
The drainage and wadi-protection figures relate to separate projects, including a stormwater drainage scheme in Salalah and protection works in Wadi Sahalnout and Wadi Thamrin.
Work is also extending beyond Salalah. A national stormwater drainage team is conducting hydrological studies covering coastal urban areas in Dhofar, with maps presented at the seminar showing Salalah-Taqah, Mirbat, Rakhyout and Dhalkout.
The studies examine potential protection sites, channel widening and measures to improve culvert efficiency.
Baowain said effective flood management increasingly depends on coordination between institutions rather than isolated projects. Urban planning, dams, water infrastructure, municipal roads and land development fall under different government bodies, while universities and technical organisations also hold data and research relevant to flood risk.