Ground and Surface Water Planning in Qatar Background The current and future pace of development in Qatar has generated a number of legacy issues which have and continue to cause adverse impacts on the ability of ground water and surface water systems to satisfactorily function. Within the Doha Metropolitan area, a fundamental concern is rising ground water that is: Constraining and limiting development, Adversely impacting infrastructure, the built environment and the natural environment Adversely effecting public health and quality of life Further, based on ground water modelling, it is predicted that the extent and scale of the problem will continue to worsen over time. It is, therefore, a requirement of the Master Plan to develop a strategy that controls and mitigates the rising ground water problem in urban Qatar. In terms of surface water, although Qatar is an arid region with average rainfall less than 80mm per year, the metropolitan area suffers from recurring problems with flooding. Due to the current lack of drainage systemssurface water tends to flow overland to low lying areas where it ponds. This causes inconvenience to residents and, in the more extreme events, causes significant disruption to the transportation infrastructure. Historically, the approach adopted toresolve this issue has trended towards the use of piped (positive) systems conveying collected flows to marine disposal. However, this approach is becoming ever more difficult due to: The increasing distance of developments from the sea Land required to accommodate drainage structures such as storage tanks, pump stations, etc. Scale and cost of infrastructure More stringent standards for disposal Need for water reuse The Master Plan is promoting an approach to maximise the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS), including infiltration techniques, and minimise the use of positive systems especially for the collection systems. It is considered that this will provide a viable, sustainable and effective approach to the management of surface water. The approach maximises both the use of the existing infrastructure and the infiltration opportunities afforded by local geology, types of developments, etc. However, the management of surface water will only be effective if prefaced on control of ground water.
Taxonomy
- Groundwater
- Water Management