The floods that rocked the UAE in April 2024 served as a reminder to how urban engineering is failing a major test in climate change. In an era, where extreme weather events are more likely to occur frequently, it is more apparent now that no matter how big and modern urban expansions get, major cities still do not have sufficient spaces for an overflow of water to go to.

Dubai was just not prepared for what was the heaviest rainfall witnessed in 75 years with some areas recording up to 10 inches of precipitation in less than 24 hours. These are alarming figures as Dubai on average sees about 3.7 inches of precipitation every year.

The sands in which major cities in UAE and the other gulf nations are built upon serve as a natural water absorption system as it seeps easily through the sand and into the soil. However, the massive amounts of concrete poured on Dubai’s natural terrain as a result of 20th century urbanization, have now blocked water from being able to seep through. Dubai experienced about USD 1 billion in losses as a result of the floods. Businesses are struggling to recoup their losses as disruptions lasted for more than 100 hours. A recent study suggested that annual rainfall could increase by up to 30% across much of the UAE in the coming years. As the world suffers from the drastic effects of climate change, massive rainfalls and floods that used to happen every 100 years are now happening every 10 years. In recent years, this seems to happening once every couple of years.

According to The Sun, the United Arab Emirates leadership is expected to pump some of their own money into flood-proofing major cities. If upgrades aren’t done to water channelling and drainage facilities soon, the results can be catastrophic and immediate action is needed to prevent another event like this from happening again. The Stormwater Management & Flood Mitigation Summit will discuss the methods and technologies employed by major cities to manage stormwater and mitigate floods. Connect with industry leaders and subject matter experts to gain exclusive insights on how they keep their cities flood free.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING THIS CONFERENCE

Discover how well-designed irrigation systems better manage and channel water
Better prepare for floods with advanced water precipitation and water level monitoring methods
Learn how advanced drainage and water absorption systems can help manage water effectively
Utilizing advanced LIDAR systems to develop more accurate hydrological models
Leveraging advance geotechnical methods to better manage stormwater and mitigate floods
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