Urban Flash Floods Mitigations: Enhancing the Link between Water, Sanitation and Energy Services in Urban Settings in the MENA Region

Abstract

For centuries, the control and delivery of water has shaped states and economies across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In the 20th century, key infrastructure development tamed key river systems for water supply and led to huge expansion in irrigation, as population nearly quadrupled. More recently, MENA has experienced severe water stress against a background of recurring droughts and worsening environmental degradation, rapid urbanization and persistent food insecurity, compounded by conflict and civil unrest, giving rise to mass migration [1]. It is important to distinguish between water services availability, accessibility and quality. According to the Manual on the Human Rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for practitioners, water supply availability refers to the reliable quantity of water supply, while accessibility refers to the ‘time and distance’ needed to get access to the water supply. While water services might be available, it does not necessarily mean that they are accessible, as water could be available in terms of quantity but of poor quality that makes it also inaccessible. Additionally, climate change is projected to have serious implications on water resources and services. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report in 2014, it is expected that extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and flash floods will increase in both frequency and intensity under a projected warmer atmosphere [2]. This will add more challenges to the existing and established services infrastructure. In arid regions, most of the infrastructures are not designed to handle such extreme events in particular heavy and intense rain events. Where infrastructure is not often designed on extreme events with long return period in order not to raise the cost of construction and hinder the development process, especially in developing countries [2].