Should nature-based solutions be a consideration for flood risk management?

Countries in MENA are changing their approach to natural disasters, understanding the benefits of being prepared for the weather or geological risks, rather than waiting for such events to strike and putting the pieces back together again.

Efforts have been made to design and enforce new disaster risk management (DRM) policies, plans, and legislation. Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Yemen are a few countries that have designed policies and established DRM units.

All very commendable and important steps, but the MENA region is plagued with drought and floods and the associated economic losses and adverse social impact.

Could we do more? Is there an alternative?

Floods are the most destructive and frequent of all global natural hazards and accounted for 43% of all recorded natural events between 1994-2013. During 1998 and 2010 total losses due to flooding exceeded $40 billion.

We must understand the solutions to mitigate issues such as flooding, drought, agricultural damage, land erosion, landslides and the impact that these events have on communities.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exposed to floods has seen the risk triple between 1970-1979 and 2000-2009, although conversely a report (2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction), has found that global flood mortality is on the decrease, since 2000, in the MENA region.

In 2004, flooding in Djibouti led to 230 deaths, $11.1 million in losses and impacted 100,000 people; in 2008, flooding in Yemen caused damage of $1.6 billion (6% of GDP); and in 2009, flooding in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, caused losses of $1.4 billion.

These countries are now becoming more resilient to natural disasters and are reaping the benefits of DRM. Djibouti in particular has seen success in flood mitigation, by adopting new strategies and working with solutions to embrace nature. They have rehabilitated the existing dike that has always protected people from its most flood-prone wadi and introduced ‘preparedness/emergency plans’. They have also installed new hydro-meteorological stations in different areas of the country. These measures have resulted in less flooding, reduced numbers of victims and shorter disruption to the lives of occupants.

The understanding that a mix of natural and man-made solutions could mitigate the effects of natural, potentially disastrous events, is not new and must be revitalised.

Man cannot defeat nature, but he can work with it

Nature-based solutions could possibly decrease the effect on climate change, whilst creating environmental benefits. And with local communities reaping consequential benefits, such as more sustainable water supplies and improved food security, shouldn’t this be a priority?

The World Bank Group has a publication that outlines five key principles for implementing nature-based flood protection, and we offer an excerpt below for consideration.

Implementing Nature Based Flood Protection: Principles and Implementation Guide

A number of pilot projects and technical reports have recently been released on the implementation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management. Five basic principles to guide future nature-based project development have come out of these pilot projects – both during design, implementation, and maintenance – and reports on the topic. The main purpose of these principles is to promote best practices and prevent common pitfalls in the use of nature-based solutions. As such, these principles are meant as guidance for project development and initiation and not as a specific design manual.

Principle. 1

Addressing nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction should start with

a system-wide analysis of the local socio-economic, environmental, and institutional conditions.

Principle. 2

A thorough assessment of risks and benefits of the full range of possible measures should be conducted, covering risk reduction benefits as well as social and environmental effects.

Principle. 3

Nature-based solutions for flood risk management need to be tested, designed, and evaluated using quantitative criteria.

Principle. 4

Nature-based solutions for flood risk management should make use of existing ecosystems, native

species, and comply with basic principles of ecological restoration and conservation.

Principle. 5

Nature-based solutions for flood risk management need adaptive management based on long-term monitoring. This ensures their sustainable performance.

To fully appreciate the potential of nature-based measures, risk assessments should be extended with a benefit assessment to quantify their ecosystem and socio-economic benefits.

There are many papers written on sustainability, ecosystems, ecologically-friendly considerations and conservation, mostly detailing how these drivers should influence our thought processes and strategies.  Unfortunately, the view is often too literal and not always in context. Very few solutions adopt the concept of embracing nature. Instead the practice is to try and overcome nature, which is a battle that man will never win.

The repair and restoration of existing eco-systems, coupled with the correct management of ecological conservation, form part of the study of natural processes, including hydrology and sediment migration which are major considerations in ‘nature-based flood mitigation solutions’ and are fundamental to the success of the concept.

The World Bank Group is one organisation that supports the end to poverty by shared prosperity and has identified a more resilient approach to the issue, as highlighted in many of its research papers.

Is ‘back to nature’ the call of the future?

Contact us today to discuss the transformative solutions for your project:

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Email: middleeast@polypipe.com