How Flooding is Putting Historical Heritage at Risk
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Date
2024-08-29
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Publisher
Saudi Digital Library
Abstract
Urban Flash Flooding is referred to excessive rainfall for a time period of more than
six hours in an urban area which has hard surface development stopping the water to soak in ground resulting in to water running through roads and streets and damaging the overall urban land.
As per the recent study by world bank, it has been revealed
that urban areas are becoming more vulnerable to urban flooding and the key reasons
behind are rapid urbanization, climate change and lack of resilient urban management. Floods in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered the most horrific among
all-natural disaster and accounted for 34% of death tolls. Emissions from transportation and urban development significantly aggravate the problem and the city of Jed
dah is experiencing extreme flash floods causing loss of lives and damage to property.
Considering the ancient importance of the Jeddah Historic area, Al-Bald, it suggests the need to conduct research that aims to revitalize this area with
innovative urban design techniques to protect it from this horrific incident while preserving its
historic character. Moreover, analysis like flood risk analysis, flood susceptibility analysis as well as rainfall analysis have been carried out to analyse the vulnerability of
the study area to flash flooding. The analysis revealed that the area is more likely to
be impacted by floods during extreme rainfall events. This demands for a sustainable urban design that increase the sponginess of the area to avoid water accumulation.
Resultantly, the multilevel strategy-based design optimization incorporates the sponge
city theme. Therefore, including wetland, roof gardens, rainwater garden as well as
permeable pavements in the existing design of the historic area, which reduces the area’s overall vulnerability to flood and rain-related calamities and serves as a model for
comparable urban design practices. This study advances flood prevention in the realm
of urban design by providing a broad framework for architectural and urban design.
Description
This thesis investigates the growing threat of urban flooding to Al-Balad, the historic district of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia—a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its unique architectural and cultural significance. As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, Al-Balad faces increasing risks that threaten both its built heritage and the living community it supports.
The research combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis with community engagement to assess vulnerabilities and identify locally-informed priorities for flood resilience. Urban design strategies rooted in nature-based solutions, such as sponge city principles, wetland integration, and permeable materials, are explored as tools to absorb, redirect, and manage stormwater while preserving the district’s historic character.
The thesis contributes to the fields of climate-adaptive urban design and heritage preservation by proposing context-sensitive interventions that blend traditional urban fabric with innovative, sustainable infrastructure. Ultimately, it presents a design framework aimed at enhancing Al-Balad’s resilience while maintaining its cultural identity.
Keywords
Flooding, Urban design
Citation
flooding, historical, heritage, resilience