Dubai will spend 30 billion dirhams ($8.2 billion) to strengthen its rainwater drainage system after the Gulf city was hit in April by the heaviest downpours recorded in the UAE since 75 years.
Dubai, widely considered the tourist and commercial hub of the Gulf, was crippled by rains, which damaged roads, shops and homes, and forced Dubai International Airport, one of the world’s busiest, to to considerably reduce its reception capacity.
The chaos left four people dead and raised questions about how Dubai could cope with extreme weather events in the future.
Researchers predict that climate change will lead to rising temperatures, increased humidity and an increased risk of flooding in parts of the Gulf region, prompting countries to find new solutions.
The project, codenamed “Tasreef”, is expected to be completed by 2033. It will cover all areas of the emirate, making it “ready to face future climate-related challenges ” and to meet its “needs for the next hundred years”, declared Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, late Monday.
The infrastructure will increase the capacity of Dubai’s rainwater drainage system by 700%, reaching more than 20 million cubic meters of water per day. It will be one of the largest rainwater harvesting projects in the region, according to the Dubai Media Office.
This project is a continuation of the drainage projects launched in 2019, covering the southern areas of Expo, Jebel Ali and Al Maktoum International Airport City, which is expected to host the world’s largest airport with a capacity of 260 million passengers , five times the size of Dubai International.
($1 = 3.6726 UAE Dirhams)
