Flash Floods and Their Impacts on Development in Oman's Al Duqm Area

Flash floods and their effects on the development in
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
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Al- Duqm area, Sultanate of Oman
Dr. Youssef Shawky Youssef Sherief
Physical Geography & Remote Sensing
sherief@squ.edu.om
Sultan Qaboos University
College of Arts & Social Sciences
Geography Department

Problem definition
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 Although most of Oman lies within the belt of hot desert, it is
subjected, sometimes to torrential rains that cause flash floods.
 Generally, Flash floods within the hot desert are characterized by
high velocity and low duration with sharp peak discharges.
 The catastrophic of desert floods is the time of peak discharge
which usually is less than one hour
 Mostly, the flood comes as a wall of water.

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 Wilyat Al Duqm is classified climatically as arid to hyper arid
 However, high intensity storms, capable of producing significant
run-off and recharge, occur infrequently at irregular times of year
 Since 1876, 78 cyclonic storms have been recorded in the northern
Arabian Sea of and 33 of total hit the study area.
 There are several flash floods that occurred in Oman in 2003,
2005, 2007, 2010, and 2013. Jurf, andWadi Saki in Duqm area.

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Data and methods
 Study area
 Outcrop lithology and structure
 Climate conditions
 Hydrological settings
 Spatial analysis using GIS and remote sensing to extract wadi
networks
 Extraction the catchment area, and wadi networks and stream orders.
 Estimation the values of runoff volume and runoff coefficient.
 Results discussion and creatation risk zone map of Duqm area

57°15'0"E 57°30'0"E 57°45'0"E 58°0'0"E
52°0'0"E 54°0'0"E 56°0'0"E 58°0'0"E 60°0'0"E
16°0'0"N 18°0'0"N 20°0'0"N 22°0'0"N 24°0'0"N 26°0'0"N
Duqm
Shuwayr
0 50 100 200
Km
Wadi Saki Arab Sea
km
Wadi Jurf
Wadi narfun
0 5 10 20
Arab Sea
Arab Sea
Ras Madarka
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Study area
 Duqm development area is located
in the Wilayat of Duqm on the
south-east coast of Oman with a
total surface area of about 1700
km2
 The study area is seasonally
subjected to flash floods which
could be cause destroyed the
infrastructure
Location of Duqm Industrial area, Oman

km
Arab Sea
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 Outcrop lithology The outcrop lithology
of study area consists of mostly of
sedimentary rocks which are more affected
by fluvial and coastal floods
 Fluvial and sabkhas deposits are
distributed in wadi beds and along the coast
line and covered only 10% of total area
 The main faults mostly have NE-SW
orientation in the main stream of Wadi
Jurf, and Wadi Saay which could be
helped to increase runoff in Duqm area.
57°15'0"E 57°30'0"E 57°45'0"E
0 5 10 20
Arab Sea
Arab Sea
STRUCTURE
TERTIARY SEDIMENTARY COVER
EARLY PERMIAN SEDIMENTARY BASEMENT
LATE CRETACEOUS ARABIAN PLATFORM
MASIRAH OPHIOLITE
QUATERNARY DEPOSITS
Outcrop lithology and main faults in Duqm area area

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Climate and Hydrological setting
 Wilyat Al Duqm is classified as arid to hyper arid.
 the catastrophic of desert floods is the time of peak discharge which usually
is less than one hour, and often the flood comes as a wall of water.
 Oman has been influenced by some storms which are usually associated with
tropical cyclones and low pressure and caused runoff and flood hazards such
as Gonu 2007, and Phet 2010
Month Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. may Jun. Jul. Aug. Seb. Oct Nov Dec. Aver.
Max
(mm)
162.1 20.3 41.9 191 5.1 42.9 84.8 170.9 0 33 70.1 27.9 70.1

Gonu 2007 track
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Source: Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2011

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Gonu Cyclone
Classification Status: cyclone of the fifth degree, which is
considered the maximum degree.
Affected areas: The coast of Oman such as Mascat, Sur, and
Ras ElHad
Economic losses: the destruction of mostly infrastructure in
coast region in Oman which coasted more Three billion
dollars.
Human loses: 49 deaths and 39 missing 20000 afflicted

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TTRM rainfall map, Phet 2010

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Phet Cyclone
Classification Status: Cyclone of the fourth degree.
Affected areas: the coast of Oman in Sur, Muscat, and
Duqm area
Economic losses: the destruction of the infrastructure of
some areas, which coasted for about one billion dollar
Human loses: 16 deaths and 30 missing 10000 afflicted

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Tropical Storm NANAUK, 13 Jun. 2014 Tropical Storm NANAUK, 14 Jun. 2014

Basins A. Sidrah Nafun Jurf Dhanaqirt Dunqart Saay Saki
Area (km2) 38 59 275 1277 136 453 253 1500
km
A
Sidrah
Duqm
Shuwayr
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57°15'0"E 57°30'0"E 57°45'0"E
20°0'0"N
19°15'0"N 19°30'0"N 19°45'0"N
19°0'0"N
18°45'0"N
0 5 10 20
Arab Sea
Arab Sea
Ras Madarka
Jurf
Narfun
Saki Arab Sea
Stream Orders
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
basins
Dhanaqirt
Dunqart
Saay

Arab Sea
km
Sidrah
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(1 )
* (9.81* )
S
D p
C
G

 
 
 
Where
C = runoff coefficient
D = drainage density km/km2
P = the rainfall depth mm
S = the average land surface slope
 The runoff coefficient in the main basins is
related mostly to huge basins which have
usually more rainfall.
 The values ranged between 9.7 in Wadi
Sidrah and 15.8 inWadi Saki
57°15'0"E 57°30'0"E 57°45'0"E
0 5 10 20
Arab Sea
Ras Madarka
Jurf
Narfun
Saki
Arab Sea
Duqm
Shuwayr
Dhanaqirt
Dunqart
Runoff Coefficient
< 10
10- 12
12- 15
> 15
Runoff coefficient

Runoff Volume
Arab Sea
km
Sidrah
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Where
V is the surface runoff volume.
P is the total rainfall depth, C is runoff coefficient.
A is the basin area upstream the point of interest.
R is the reduction factor that depends on basin
area
 Runoff amount ranged between 110 in
Wadi A and 6318 inWadi Saki (1000 m3).
 These values related to local relief, outcrop
lithology, slopes, and runoff coefficient
57°15'0"E 57°30'0"E 57°45'0"E
0 5 10 20
Arab Sea
Ras Madarka
Jurf
Narfun
Saki
Arab Sea
Duqm
Shuwayr
Dhanaqirt
Dunqart
Runoff volume
1000 m3
< 200
200- 400
400- 2000
> 2000

Conclusions
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1. The flash floods are concentrated in basins which are
characterized by steep slope and narrow channel.
2. the risk in these areas is strongly distributed in
industry area around the main streams ofWadi Jurf.
3. The southern of service area had high risk fromWadi
Saki which had high network orders and huge area.
4. The results of morphometric parameters and flood
data indicate that duqm area need construction some
Protection dams which could be proposed at the
upstream of some major wadis,
5. Duqm area needs more studies in details for flood
hazard as soon as possible.

The Post 2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
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 The implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action
 It is better to use more technical tools as GIS and RS to asses the flood hazards,
additional field work.
 Identifying and assessing risk by collecting data and performing statistical
analysis to determine the main problem
 The main gaps, needs and further steps to be addressed in the Post
2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
 Research: mostly research depends on traditional tools
 Education & Training: it is important for researcher to educate and train
more techniques to asses the natural risks
 Policy: more cooperation between the countries in global risks

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Thanks
Dr. Youssef Sherief
sherief@squ.edu.om

Flash Floods and Their Impacts on Development in Oman's Al Duqm Area

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