Several months ago, the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) was submerged in water. This was an unusual and extremely rare occurrence in this desert region.
Following the historic flood in April, the Dubai city government announced a major plan to construct a massive drainage system right in the desert.
Capacity of 20 Million Cubic Meters Per Day
On April 16, the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates – UAE) was completely paralyzed due to flooding from heavy rainfall. The recorded rainfall here exceeded 250mm in just one day, which is double the city’s normal annual rainfall.
The floods caused many infrastructures such as shopping centers and hospitals to be submerged, transportation was halted, schools closed, and operations at the city’s international airport were temporarily suspended.
Dubai is accelerating numerous major projects to combat climate change (Illustrative image: Science Post).
The cause of Dubai’s historic flood stemmed from storms – which are very rare in this desert region.
In response to the erratic weather patterns, the city has begun taking action to prevent similar events from occurring in the future by constructing a massive drainage system.
In theory, this drainage system will be capable of absorbing more than 20 million cubic meters of water each day.
Project Completion Expected by 2033
According to project disclosures, the drainage system will serve the city for 100 years, increasing the UAE’s rainwater drainage capacity by 700%. At the same time, it will help Dubai face future climate challenges.
This project reflects the government’s desire to preserve the city’s infrastructure and urban assets, as well as improve the security and safety of its residents.
Currently, detailed information about this grand drainage project has not been clearly disclosed. However, construction will soon commence, and the project is expected to be completed by 2033.
Prior to this, the historic rainfall in Dubai had sparked speculation that the cause of the flooding was due to cloud seeding performed by the city.
This is a technique used to modify rainfall patterns by promoting cloud formation and precipitation. The method involves dispersing chemicals such as silver iodide into the atmosphere.
These act as condensation nuclei for moisture in the atmosphere, thereby promoting cloud formation and precipitation. However, scientists suggest that the storms hitting Dubai recently were primarily due to significant changes in rainfall.
Facing the increasing challenges of climate change, the UAE government is taking strong action to mitigate this issue. Last May, they revealed an artificial mangrove project that transforms a 70km stretch of coastline in Dubai into an ecosystem.
According to the project implementers, once completed, the mangrove forest will absorb over 1.2 million tons of CO2 (a main contributor to global warming) annually, equivalent to the emissions from 260,000 gasoline-powered cars.
