Study in Oman identifies Salalah areas at risk if sea levels were to rise

Muscat: Large parts of Salalah could end up under water if sea levels rose by five metres in the future, a new study looking at flooding models has predicted.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Amol G Deshmukh, Geomatics specialist at the Sultanate's National Survey Authority (NSA), said the study was conducted on a pilot basis to depict the effects of coastal flooding if the sea level rose by say five metres.
“Salalah was chosen on a sample basis. Most of the resorts and hotels built along the coast host a lot of national and international tourists. Hence, it becomes imperative to protect such areas from any potential disaster, such as a tsunami,” he said.
Commenting on the need for the study, Deshmukh said, “As a large percentage of settlements in Oman are located along the coast, starting from Salalah, heading north towards Duqm, Masirah, Sur, Muscat and the North Batinath governorate, it is essential to know the areas that could be under threat due to coastal flooding and the preventive measures required to minimise the loss of life and property.”
The study was conducted by analysing terrain elevation, using ESRI ArcGIS software, a spatial analysis tool. “The geospatial data used for this study was a five metre interval Digital Elevation Model (DEM), which is highly accurate and is available with the NSA for the whole country,” Deshmukh said.
Deshmukh also confirmed that NSA is the authorised repository for all types of geospatial data in Oman. “The data is available for private companies, ministries and government organisations to use for such purposes,” he said.
“NSA offers short term courses on Geospatial Technology through its Institute of Topographic Sciences. From the past three years, NSA has been organising the Oman Geospatial Forum, along with geospatial media and communications to create awareness of such technology and encourage users to undertake research and development work so that the huge investment in technology can be put to use for the benefit of the people of this country,” he added.
He also said that due to the flooding that affects the Sultanate, a lot of attention has turned towards assessing flood-related damages in order to assign and focus on relief efforts, and towards mitigating future damage by identifying and fortifying high-risk regions. “The Digital Elevation Model (DEM), which represents the elevation of the surface of the earth can be used effectively to know the areas prone to flooding using Geographic Information System (GIS).”
The infrastructure should be laid out in such a manner that it should suffer a minimum impact from natural calamities, such as floods. “Sometimes it is not possible, hence preventive measures should be taken to protect areas of high importance, such as airports, by constructing flood protection dams,” he added.
Earlier, Muscat, Sohar and Rustaq were considered the top three “flood risk zones” in Oman by officials, who have drawn up maps where people are most at risk in the Sultanate.
Ahmed Al Barwani, water resources expert at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, had said these areas have been identified based on their high population density.
“The current drainage system in these areas is inadequate,” he stated.
He also said these areas make significant contributions to the country’s economy, but it is important to highlight the fact that they are prone to flooding and measures should be adopted to control the damage. “We have to work together to improve the drainage system in Oman.”