MUSCAT, Aug 26
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR) has assigned a specialised company to implement the consultancy services project to prepare flood risk maps and management and emergency plans for flood risks in the Sultanate of Oman during the period between 2024 and 2026.
The project aims to update previous maps and prepare new ones that include flood plains, their degree of danger, and their areas of spread to the main and secondary wadis, which will help geographically identify the affected areas at different levels, including areas of maximum, medium, and minimum danger.
During different climatic conditions, these maps will help facilitate the operations of the National Emergency Management Committee, thereby saving lives and property in areas adjoining valleys. The maps also include urban planning requirements which must be considered when allocating sites for residences or other structures.
The project consists of three main stages, the first of which is related to the analysis of rainfall and surface runoff data, which lasts for 12 months and includes evaluation and analysis of the available hydrological data for rain stations and valleys in all governorates.
It seeks to prepare tables and curves of the recurrence periods of rainfall intensity (IDF) for each governorate, as well as the preparation of a flood design guide (FDM) for each governorate, to achieve a sound hydrological understanding of the nature of the relationship between rainfall and surface runoff for each watershed.
The second phase of the project is the flood mapping phase in flood plains and flood-risk areas, which extends for seven months and includes mapping flood risks and assessing their severity through hydrological analysis using modern programmes and technologies, and identifying the main channels of valleys and their areas of spread during low, medium and large floods.
The final phase, which will last for five months, will include preparing plans to manage flood risks and emergency plans in areas expected to be exposed to flood risks, preparing the necessary scenarios and procedures to be followed to control floods in the event of their occurrence based on approved flood risk maps, developing scenarios and proposals for waterway demarcations, and recommendations related to emergency plans to be followed during exceptional climatic conditions.
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