Rains fill up more than 50 dams in UAE

Groundwater levels rise sharply as wadis are replenished with flow from Oman mountains

AlAin:Therecentrainfallisablessingforthecountry.Thoughtheregionisamongtheworldsmostarid
climates,anincreaseinthelevelofgroundwaterhasbeenfillingthereservoirsofmorethan50damsacross
thecountry.
Officialsourcesreportacollectionofanestimated115milliongallonsofwaterinthecountrysdamsdueto
therainsinthecentralandeasternregionsoftheemiratebetweenAugust29andSeptember15.
TheheaviestrainfallwasonSeptember14inSharjah,RasAlKhaimah,Fujairahandtheneighbouring
areasofthenorthernandeasternemirates.
TheMinistryofEnvironmentandWater(MEW)saidthedamswhichhavebeenreplenishedbytherainsare
locatedinAlAinandLiwainAbuDhabi,Kadra,MasafiandDiftainRasAlKhaimah,Madam,FelliandWadi
AlHeluinSharjah,andMasafi,AlHeilandWadiMaiinFujairah.
Thoughtherainswerenotheavy,mostofthewatermadeitswayintowadisfromtheneighbouring
mountainsofOman.However,thewatercollectionismuchlessthanthelevelsin2006whichrecordedthe
highestrainfallin10years.TheMEWatthattimereportedacollectionofupto21millioncubicmetresor
4,620milliongallonsofwaterinjust10daysfromDecember2to14.
TheMEWsWaterandDamsSectionmonitorswaterresourceanddams,studiesthedevelopmentand
conservationofwaterresources,controlstheconsumptionofgroundwaterfromthewells,Aflajandsprings
aswellaswaterflowingthroughthewadis.
Theministryhasbuiltdamsinstrategiclocationstostoresurfacewater.ThesedamsincludeHamDam,
WurayyahDam,ZiktDam,BasseirahDam,BihDam,IdhnDam,GulfaDam,TawiyaeenDam,andHadf
Dam.
Accordingtometeorologists,AugustandSeptemberareamongthedriestmonthsoftheyear.Thewinter
season,fromJanuarytoApril,witnessestheheaviestrainfall.
Cloudformation
Duringmuchofyear,onlysmallamountsofcumulus(puffyclouds)andstratocumulusclouds(dark,lumpy
cloud)formbutthesecloudsareseenmoreofteninwinter.
Cumulonimbusclouds(densecloudsinvolvedinthunderstormsandotherinclementweather)alsodevelop
inthesummermonthsovertheHajarMountains.Thesecloudsoccasionallyresultinlighttoheavyrain.
TherisingwaterlevelisalsoraisingconcernsinsomecitieslikeAlAinwherecivicadministrations,withthe
helpofvariousgovernmentagencies,havebeentakingmeasurestocontrolanypossibledamagetothe
infrastructureaswellasdangertopublicsafety.
AbdullahSultanAlDerei,HeadofStudiesandInfrastructureDevelopmentatAlAinMunicipality,saida
seriesofmeasureshasbeenadoptedtoreducethewaterlevelattheTilapiaLake.Thewaterhasalsobeen
testedtoensureitisfreefromcontamination.Thelevelisbeingcloselymonitoredwiththehelpofthe
EnvironmentAgency,AbuDhabi,thesewageservicesandAlAinPolice.Differentmeasuresarebeingused
toreducethewaterlevelsinceAugustandroadsleadingtothelakehavebeenblockedforpublicsafety.
AlDereisaidwarningboardsinArabic,EnglishandUrduhavebeeninstalledaroundthelakeurgingpeople

AlDereisaidwarningboardsinArabic,EnglishandUrduhavebeeninstalledaroundthelakeurgingpeople
tostayaway.Permanentfencesarealsobeinginstalled.