Protecting buildings and homes with demountable flood barriers

The recent floods associated with rains have again raised the need for addressing risks in the Sultanate of Oman to save lives and properties. A couple of weeks ago, there was an article published in the Observer titled, ‘Managing Flood Risks’, that caught my attention. The article shed light on the massive losses incurred by the government and private homeowners during the recent adverse weather conditions, but the sad part is that this story repeats every year. The government is doing its part by creating drainage systems and other means to divert the water. But I feel that there is a lack of awareness on how floods threatening homes and property owners can be addressed. I would like to share a few ways on how this can be done.

Floods in Oman are majorly occurring due to running water that flows through the wadi when it rains. In extreme flood events, this running water can enter houses or buildings through the entry and exit points like gates, if there is a boundary wall, doors, or low windows. Blocking this entry and exit points with a blockade can prevent losses in a big way. But the challenge here is that we cannot have a permanent structure as it will hinder the movement of people and materials. So, what we need is a temporary blockage that can be put into place when there is rain and removed later when it is safe.

An old and traditional way of making these blockages is using gunny bags filled with sand which are effective in blocking the water flow up to an extent. The challenge with gunny bags is that they are heavy to move when a quick blockage must be made and messy to handle after the flood.

A modern way of addressing this issue is by using a demountable flood barrier made of lightweight marine aluminium. These structures last more than 25+ years and make a watertight blockage to prevent water from entering buildings. These barriers are custom made to fit the access doors and designed based on the head of water experienced during a previous flood. The lightweight aluminium makes it easy for one person to install and the investment required for these barriers are nominal compared to the damage a flood can cause. Multiple organisations are already using these barriers in the Sultanate of Oman to protect their valuable assets.

[The writer is the Business Head – AgTech at Unicorn International LLC; Email: [email protected]]