The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA) is advocating a new approach to stormwater management that recognises the environmental impacts of urbanisation, the linkages between land and water management, the importance of community values and involvement as well as stormwater quality and quantity.

MMAA is now encouraging to combine stormwater management facilities, with open space providing the necessary water treatment as well as recreational opportunities and other related benefits.

Several projects are currently under design, one of them being a combined Emergency Flood Area (EFA)/Recreational area south of Al Muntazah Street, close to Barwa City in Mesaimeer which will be constructed by Ashghal as a pilot project.

The concept design is being developed in co-ordination with the Public Parks Department and in accordance with the recently developed MMAA’s draft guidelines document titled “Multi-Use of Stormwater Management Facilities-Guidelines”.

The park concept design incorporates the core function of the project which is a technical solution to collect and store storm water, and MMAA’s interest in sustainability within an irrigation friendly public park development.

The area will act as an EFA and will receive and manage the stormwater runoff collected. Once collected, it will be treated, stored and reused. The design scheme involves the use of interconnected treatment ponds with varying levels.

The water sources that will feed into these ponds include: stormwater run-off collected from the catchment by the drainage system, shallow ground water and Treated Sewage Effluent as required.

The area of the retention/treatment ponds proposed is around 30,000sq m, the total park area being 110,000sq m. The park will be divided into different character areas to add interest, to reflect the different stages of the water cycle and to create varied ecosystems.

Some of the programme elements proposed include green/play areas; cycle/walking paths, boardwalks, decks and public art, among others. This project will be used as a pilot and will be promoted throughout the country. The pilot concept design is being developed in collaboration with Ashghal and KBR, with Parsons International as the design consultants. 

The MMAA has explained, in a statement, the reason behind the new initiative, by citing that Qatar experiences an arid climate which requires a very different approach to stormwater management than a conventional one used in other climatic zones. Low annual rainfall, extensive droughts, high intensity storms and high evaporation rates characterise watersheds in arid regions and presenting a different set of challenges.

Even though the total rainfall volumes in Arid Regions are comparatively small, urban development has greatly increased peak discharge flows during rain events which call for an efficient drainage system to prevent flooding and damage. Efficient source control, better site design and appropriate stormwater practices can be adapted to meet the demanding conditions posed by arid watersheds.

“As we look towards the future, our water protection goals along with the infrastructure needs are pushing us towards a rethinking of the solution from a conventional single purpose “grey” infrastructure system to a “green” one that can cost-effectively reduce/treat runoff before it enters our communities’ sewer systems and our water resources,” the statement added.