Towards a flood-resilient Omani society…
The arid climate of Oman presents unique challenges to the management of floods. It is often incorrectly assumed that flooding is an insignificant risk in arid areas, as the annual rainfall is very low. In reality, flooding is a significant concern here due to high-intensity rainfall often resulting in flash floods. Floods in Oman had significant impacts in the past, including the destruction of infrastructure and loss of life. For example, cyclone “Gonu” in June 2007 caused torrential flooding and heavy damage summing up to about US$4 billion, as well as nearly 50 deaths in Oman. The cyclone was considered the nation’s worst natural disaster. In June 2010, the country was hit by another cyclone (“Phet”). Planning to mitigate the impact of such incidents has become even more critical given the prediction of increased climatic extremes associated with global climate change. Therefore, there is a compelling need to implement improved flood risk assessment and management tools.
This project aims to improve flood risk management in Oman in order to reduce damage caused by floods in the future by providing the scientific background for assessing flood hazards and flood risks and developing a set of decision support tools for flood risk management. The proposed approach for this project is an integration of remote sensing data, geographic information systems and hydrodynamic flow modelling. A public information system as well as recommendations for an early warning system will also be developed. The outcomes of this project may help in future land use planning in order to reduce the adverse effects of flooding in flood prone areas.
Title | Name | Department | Role |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. | Adrijana Car | LTSM | Principal investigator |
Ms. | Amira Al Saifi | AGEO | Intern |
BSc. | Andrew Makowicki | LTSM | Research Assistant |
Dr. | Edda Kalbus | LTSM/AGEO/Auckland Council, NZ | Consultant |
Dr. | Ekkehard Holzbecher | AGEO | Co-Principal investigator |
MSc. | Frederich Maude | AGEO | Research Assistant |
MSc. | María Paredes Morales | AGEO | Research Assistant |
Dr. | Nabil Sahli | CS | Investigator |
BSc. | Noora Al Balushi | LTSM | Research Assistant |
Dr. | Aisha Al Qurashi | AGEO | Research Associate (former Consultant) |
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