Rainwater drainage in Qatar

11 March 2024
To: Naqqa Abbas
From: Group 4
Subject: Rainwater Drainage in Qatar

Flooding is the overflow of water in land areas.It is a reoccurring challenge and has
become harder to combat especially with rapid urbanization and climate change on
the rise.Qatar has witnessed a series of unusual rainfalls in the past, which led to
several costly floods, especially with a lack of preparedness. Several factors have
contributed to this, such as the limited consideration of the rainfall patterns and
increased intensity caused by climate change. Furthermore, the rapid expansion of
urban areas (linked to hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022), has eliminated soil,
increasing the chances to flood.To avoid floods in future Qatar could utilize
hydrological modeling to predict the areas where rainfall is heavy and more likely to
flood.

Introduction:
Qatar, a desert country renowned for its dry climate and intense heat, occasionally
receives rain, a rare occurrence that frequently takes both locals and infrastructure by
surprise. When rain shows up in an area where it doesn't happen often, people are
both in wonder and terrified. Although one of the most distinctive aspects of Qatar's
climate is its lack of precipitation, these occasional downpours can have far-reaching
effects, ranging from flooding to disruptions in day-to-day activities.

Impacts of rain:
When it does rain in Qatar, it frequently brings with it a host of issues for which the
nation is unprepared. Flooding is one of the most pressing issues because the arid
desert terrain cannot swiftly absorb significant volumes of water. Roads and
residential areas can become transient rivers, endangering motorists and pedestrians
alike, as of last year. "The rain that fell on the State of Qatar yesterday was more than
the design capacity with which roads and tunnels were formed in Qatar," stated the
Director of Project Affairs at the Public Works Authority "Ashghal" in 2023.

Traffic Disruptions:
Rain has resulted in slick roads, low visibility, and a lack of experience driving in
those conditions, all of which increase the risk of accidents. This is because many of
the intersections are flooded which causes some of the vehicle's engines to stop
functioning.This results in traffic congestion. Furthermore, extreme traffic congestion
increases the risk of accidents and interferes with a persons' daily commute. In
addition the rain greatly impacts people going to healthcare services to seek urgent
help but are delayed due to congestion resulting in their further health deterioration.
For example if someone was to be rushed to the hospital: it would be very difficult
under heavy rain ,like last semester.
Infrastructure and Educational Disruptions:
The unexpected nature of Qatar's rainfall presents infrastructure issues, especially for
educational institutions. In order to protect students and employees, schools have to
close in the event of heavy rain. Inadequate water-proofing in buildings can result in
floods inside buildings, which could destroy/damage the property.As during the 2023
Fall Academic year, many universities such as Texas A&M University at Qatar had to
close their campus for about a week due to the rain's heavy downfall leading to the
floodage and disruption of the university’s study rhythm. Another major issue is that
heavy rain delays construction projects resulting in increased costs and minimizes
progress.

Conclusion:
Although the seldom occurrence of rainfall in Qatar may cause curiosity and
enthusiasm, the aftermath of such weather occurrences exposes the weaknesses in the
nation's infrastructure and emergency readiness. It will become increasingly important
to solve the issues raised by the infrequent rain as Qatar grows and develops. To
minimize the impact of rain in this desert nation, investments in robust infrastructure,
enhanced drainage systems, and public awareness campaigns about safe driving
during inclement weather are crucial.

References:
Mamoon, Abdullah Al, et al. “Derivation of New Design Rainfall in Qatar Using L-
Moment Based Index Frequency Approach.” International Journal of Sustainable
Built Environment, vol. 3, no. 1, June 2014, pp. 111–118,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsbe.2014.07.001.

https://al-sharq.com/article/27/10/2023/%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%84-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A-
%D9%87%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1-
%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA
%D8%B5%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A-
%D8%B4%D9%83%D9%84%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7-
%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%82-
%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%86%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82

Serdar, Mohammad Zaher, et al. “Flood Susceptibility Assessment in Arid

Areas: A Case Study of Qatar.” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 15, 8 Aug. 2022, p.
9792, www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9792/pdf?version=1659968070,
https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159792. Accessed 19 Aug. 2022.

Qasem, Hassan, and Mohsin Mahmood. “Sustainable Urban Drainage Master

Plan for al Khor Municipality.” Qspace.qu.edu.qa, Qatar University Press,
2023, qspace.qu.edu.qa/handle/10576/47133. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.