Citizens and environmentalists will welcome the Sultanate of Oman’s Royal Decrees, earlier this week, designating new dams in Wadi Adoubab and Wadi Anaar in the Wilayat of Salalah as public utility projects.
The decrees are praiseworthy. Communities vulnerable to floods need a dam for protection. Dams control floods. They hold large quantity of water for suitable use later.
Citizens and utilities can use stored water to irrigate agricultural fields, to produce hydroelectricity, fishing, and recreation. Dams spur residents’ social and economic growth.
Villages, rural and water catchment places need dams. Governments build dams to prevent floods and protect its citizens and their property.
Globally floods claim thousands of lives of humans and livestock. They damage property worth millions. Frequent floods derail a country’s progress and development plans by five years minimum.
Floods top the list of natural disasters. Heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal places trigger floods.
Floods are of three types. Flash floods occur when excessive rainfall raises water level quickly. They overwhelm rivers, streams, channels, and roads. Rivers trigger floods when consistent heavy rain or snow melt forces a river to swell and overflow. This often happens in Asia. Storm surges associated with tropical cyclones and tsunami cause coastal floods.
According to the World Health Organisation between 1998-2017, floods affected more than two billion people worldwide. People who live in flood plains or non-resistant buildings, or lack warning alarms and awareness of flooding hazard, remain vulnerable to floods.
China and India figure among the world’s top five countries by the total population at risk. China is Asia’s top economy while India ranks third behind Japan. Around 28 per cent of the population in both countries face direct risk of flooding. Bangladesh occupies third place with 94 million people at risk of flooding.
Floods following record monsoon rain sank a third of Pakistan in 2022, according to a UNDP report. The floods affected 33 million people. More than 1,730 lost their lives and eight million people displaced in Pakistan.
Floods hit the poorest and most vulnerable districts the hardest. The UNDP report estimates “rehabilitation and reconstruction will cost at least US$16.3 billion, excluding much needed new investments to strengthen Pakistan’s overall resilience to climate shocks”.
Although prevention of floods and safe retention of water remains a dam’s primary purpose, there are other uses.
1. Irrigation: The World Commission of Dam estimates around 30-40pc of irrigated land relies on dams. It estimates 60pc of the food that comes to the market depends on dam water for their irrigation.
2. Hydropower: Dams help produce substantial hydropower. It remains the most efficient renewable energy. It contributes 24pc of all renewable electric energy produced globally.
3. Migration: Dams built in rural places help countries lessen migration of job seekers to cities. Dams ensure enough water supply to irrigate agricultural fields and help in balanced development.
4. Industries: Dams regulate water supply for domestic and industrial use. Dams store water and supply it during crises. A high percentage of rain falls on oceans. A large quantity of rain falling on land runs off as waste. Merely two per cent water restores the groundwater.
5. Inland Navigation: Dams provide inland navigation. This has benefit of transporting large cargo on a barge. It saves fuel used by lorries.
6. Recreation: Dams provide scope for recreational pursuits such as boating, skiing, camping, picnic, and boat launch piers. Dams help growth of greenery. This attracts birdwatchers and nature lovers.
(Sudeep Sonawane, an India-based journalist, has worked in five countries in the Middle East and Asia. Email: sudeep.sonawane@gmail.com)
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
