An evaluation of flood mitigation using a storm water management model SWMM in a residential area in Kerbala, Iraq

摘要

The control of the urban flooding is one of the major challenges currently facing decision makers and municipalities. Flooding rates increase positively with increases in urbanisation, climate change, and a lack of consideration when using drainage networks. In the Middle East, and in Iraq especially, research in the field of flood control has been rare prior to this study. This study thus aims to provide technical support for decision makers by offering a proposed solution to mitigate flooding in a case study in Kerbala, Iraq. A storm-water management model [SWMM] has been utilised to check the extent to which the proposed solution will mitigate the flooding in the study area. SWMM was used to simulate the network in the study area utilising hourly precipitation intensity data from 2008 to 2016, and with the inclusion of estimated illegitimate sewage quantities. The results indicated that the solution was effective, and the percentage of sewer holes flooding under maximum rainfall intensity of 33.5 mm/hr saw a decrease from 48% to 33%; flooding occurred in the study area only with discharges greater than 0.04 m~3/sec, and the flooding duration also decreased from 72 hours to 26 hours.