Managing Natural Hazards in HIMA ( The
Case of Kuwait)
Raafat Misak, Hamdy El-Gamily & Ali Al Dousari
International Workshop: Towards an Implementation Strategy for the HIMA
Governance Systems
KISR, Kuwait, 3-5 Dec.2012

Outline
 Natural Hazards in Kuwait.
 Characterization and Prioritization of Natural Hazards in
Kuwait.
 Case Study : Managing Flash Floods in Sabah Al Ahmad
Nature Reserve.
 Conclusions & Recommendations.

Natural Hazards
Meteorological : Drought, Sand and Dust Storms
(dust storm of 25 March 2011)
Hydrological : Flash Floods (1993, 1997, 2004,2007, 2009
& 2012)
Geophysical : low magnitude seismic waves.
Oceanographic : Fish kill (1999 & 2001)

Common Natural Hazards in Kuwait
( Feb., 1993 - Nov. , 2012)
Drought ( 2007/2008, 2008/2009 , 2009/2010 & 2010/2011 )
Dust and sand storms (July- August 2007, 25 March 2011 &
June 2012)
Flash flooding ( February 1993, November 1997, January 2004,
Jan. 2007, Dec.2009 & November 2012)
Raudtain , Nov. 2012 Wadi Al Batin, 2010

Floods of 26 November 2012
(Shuwaikh)

Abdaly Road, Friday, 30 Nov. 2012, 3 pm

Floods of 26 November 2012,
Abdaly Road, 20 km from Iraqi Border
Friday, 30 Nov. 2012, 3 pm

Prioritization of Weather- Related
Hazards in Kuwait
First priority : Dust and sand storms.
Second priority : Droughts .
Third priority : Flash floods .

Frequency & Impact of Weather Related
Hazards in Kuwait
Crises Frequency Impact Total score Remarks
Dust and sand storms
5 4 9 last from few hours to more than 24 hours
Drought
2 5 7 Several years
Flash floods 2 2 4 Last few hours

Details of score for frequency & impact of Weather Related Hazards
Score Frequency Impact
5
Very high (several days/ month)
Affect 100% of Kuwait
Remarks
Severe dust storms affect the whole country
4
3
2
1
High (monthly)
Moderate (at least once/year)
Low
(every 5-7 years)
Very low (decades)
Affect 50- 75% of Kuwait
Affect 25- 50 % of Kuwait
Affect less than 25% of
Kuwait
Affect small spots (5-10% of
Kuwait)

Facts & Figures on floods in Kuwait
Destructive Floods occur during heavy rainstorms with rainfall amounting 30-40mm in one storm lasting 4-6 hours.
Parts of Kuwait were subjected to flash floods during
2nd February 1993 (40mm within 6-8 hours), 11th
November 1997 (105 mm within 4-6 hours), January
2004, January 2007, April 2008, December 2009 and
November 2012.
The flash floods cause intensive damage to the physical infrastructures such as roads, fences, water wells, oil facilities and others.

Two Remarkable Flood Events
November 1997 : 105 mm within 4-6 hours (largest amount of rainfall in one day during 41 years (Al
Sabah and Borbia, 1998)
2 February 1993 : 40 mm within 6-8 hours :
Declaration of Jahra City as an area of Natural
Disasters

Main Watershed Areas in Kuwait
Jal Az zour Dissected Hilly Terrain (about 145m above sea level)
Al Rukham (100 m above sea level)
Jal Al Liyah (about 100m above sea level)
Ahmadi Ridge (about 137m above sea level)
Hills of Wadi Al Batin (about 220m above sea level).
Ritqa-Abdaly (80-100m above sea level)
Jal Az Zour Catchment

Jal Az Zour Watershed

Drainage Basins in Kuwait (Kwarteng,
2000 & Misak, 2011)
Kwarteng, 2000

Areas at Risk of Flash Floods in Kuwait
Urban Areas
Parts of Al Jahra City. several areas in and around Kuwait City.
Ahmady – Fahahel Stretch including Shouaiba Industrial
Area.
Umm Al Haiman settlement , south east Al Ahmadi (Ali
Subah Al Salem City)
Desert Areas
Wadi Al Batin , western part of
Kuwait.
Ritqa –Abdaly Stretch.
Northern parts of Kuwait Bay.
Other areas.

Flood Event : 26 Nov. 2012
Ritqa- Abdaly
High water mark

Managing Flash Floods in Sabah Al Ahmad
Nature Reserve (SANR)
Why ??? How ???


Watersheds of SANR
 Main : Jal Az zour Hilly Terrains (100-120 m above sea level)
 Secondary : Terraces , cliffs and isolated hills (40-60 m above sea level )
 Urban watershed (Human made): Roads and road embankments (10 – 20 m above sea level)

Urban Watershed

Hydrographic Basins of SANR
 Exterior : Wadis (dry water courses)
 Interior : closed basins (Playas)
 Urban wadis : associated with human pressure and off road traffic.
 Effective Wadis : headwaters start at Jal Az Zour main escarpment and the wadis drain in the coastal plain

Managing flash floods WHY ???
 To control soil erosion by runoff.
 To protect plant species such as Haloxylon
salicornicum and wildlife habitats.
 To minimize local sources of dust.
 To protect infrastructures such as fences and roads.

Soil Erosion by runoff water
(Western Part of Jal Azour water shed
, March 1997)
 At least 8 cubic meters of good soil was lost in one storm.
 No soil recovery under the prevailing conditions.
 Sole practical solution : water and soil conservation.

Eastern Part of the Desert Sector of SANR, June 2012
Flood Direction
ا
Flood Deposits

Cut in the fence of Sabah Al Ahmad Nature Reserve
(30 Nov.2012)

Micro-catchment
Rills
Umm Al Rimmam
Depression
11 November 1997
يضيف طورخم
Alluvial Cone
Cone
لويسلا اهتفرج لامر
Out-washed Sands
مس
50

Managing flash floods HOW ???
 Applying passive water harvesting with minor active harvesting techniques.
 Passive water harvesting : Cost effective & environmentally sound.

Approaches of water harvesting

Passive
Systems that slow flood water, allowing it to seep into the soils.

Active
Storing water in aboveground or belowground tanks.
 Dams & cisterns.
 Ribbing & Pitting

Playa
Treated Water Reservoir
Proposed Passive Measures

Falling Dunes
Dry water pond
`
Falling Dunes
Rill
Cliff

Proposed Passive Measures
Water Divide

Conclusions & Recommendations
 Dust and sand storms, droughts and flash floods are the most significant natural hazards in Kuwait.
 Contingency plans for managing natural hazards are not yet completed.
 Managing flash floods is essential. It starts with delineation of drainage basins using Arc GIS/high resolution satellite images and ends with contingency plan .In between there is an early warning system.
 Passive measures of water harvesting is proposed .it is cost effective and environmentally friendly.

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