المملكة: Specialized for "today"Floods are a renewable water resource that requires an accurate measurement system
During this period, several areas in the Kingdom are witnessing significant flow For torrentsresultSuccessive rainfall events, which re-highlights the importance of this renewable water resource and its role, and at the same time raises questions about the extent of actual benefit from it and the accuracy of current estimates compared to what is happening on the ground.
In this context, the associate professor in the field of water resources engineering at King Saud University, Dr. Raed Al-Harbi, confirmed to " today " Floods are not just a passing seasonal phenomenon, but rather represent a renewable water resource with development value if it is properly understood and managed. He pointed out that the main challenge does not lie in the presence of floods, but rather in the ability to measure them and transform them into accurate data that can be used in planning.
Replenishment of water resources
He explained that rain is the main source of renewal of renewable water resources in the Kingdom, and despite its fluctuations and concentration in short periods, it contributes to shaping the floods that occur in the Kingdom. Valleys and reefs are a resource that can be exploited for water and development, and at the same time they may turn into a danger in the absence of integrated management.
He added that floods contribute to supporting water resources through two main paths, the first of which is recharging renewable groundwater reservoirs through the leakage of part of the water into the ground, and the second is harvesting it through dams and rainwater storage facilities.
He stated that hydrological estimates indicate that the average annual amounts of floods in the Kingdom are About 8 billion cubic metres, about 60% of which can be used, but these numbers remain general estimates and do not always reflect the detailed reality in each rain event.
He pointed out that there is a clear gap between estimation and measurement, explaining that current field observations in terms of the strength and breadth of torrential flow suggest large quantities of water, but the absence of direct field measurements of flow levels and speeds makes it difficult to convert these observations into accurate data that can be relied upon in water planning.
He stressed that field measurement represents the scientific basis for building hydrological and hydraulic models, which in turn is a key tool in understanding the behavior of floods and accurately estimating their quantities, in addition to using them to evaluate opportunities for water harvesting, supporting plans for replenishing renewable underground reservoirs, and simulating the movement of floods within valleys according to different rain scenarios.
Maximizing the benefit from floods
He explained that the relationship between rain and floods is not a direct relationship, as it is controlled by several factors such as the characteristics of the basins. Water, soil type, slope, land use and other factors, which makes relying on rain data alone insufficient to understand the actual hydrological response, and stresses the need to measure surface flows directly.
He pointed out that hydrological and hydraulic studies play an important role in urban planning, by determining the paths of valleys and reefs, and directing development away from them, in addition to designing flood drainage networks and their paths in accordance with the natural behavior of water basins, which contributes to reducing risks and losses, especially with the increase The severity of some rain events.
He pointed out that part of the flood water is lost as a result of its flow towards coastal areas or open areas with high evaporation rates, which makes advance planning necessary to maximize the benefit from it before it is lost, and transform it from a potential threat into a water resource supporting water security.
He added that understanding the trends of valley flow is an essential element in managing this resource, as some valleys end into the sea, which leads to the loss of large quantities of water without benefit, while others head towards areas Desert in which rates of evaporation loss increase, which reinforces the need for more precise monitoring of the movement and paths of floods.
Reducing dependence on groundwater
He stressed that the state has paid increasing attention to floodwater within the objectives of the National Water Strategy, which aims to reduce dependence on non-renewable groundwater and maximize the benefit from renewable resources, including floods, through the expansion of dam projects, rainwater harvesting, and regulation of valley streams.
He also pointed out that the cloud seeding program It represents one of the initiatives supporting the enhancement of water resources, but any increase in the amounts of precipitation resulting from it imposes, in turn, greater importance on developing systems for measuring floods and raising the accuracy of their calculations, to ensure optimal use of the resulting water.
He stressed that calculating the amounts of floods is not limited to estimating risks, but rather is an essential planning tool in the water, agricultural and urban fields, and is linked to early warning systems and risk management, which contributes to supporting decision-making.
He stressed the importance of establishing an integrated national system. To monitor floods, it relies on field measurement, modeling, and early warning, while unifying the data and making it available to research agencies and universities, which contributes to raising the efficiency of water planning and transforming floods from a seasonal challenge into a sustainable development opportunity for renewable water in the Kingdom.
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