GCC roads ‘in need of drainage’ despite lack of rain – expert
Roads and open spaces should be able to handle greater rainfall in anticipation of climate change, says drainage firm
GCC countries should invest in adequate drainage systems despite not receiving much rain, an expert has urged.
Flooding caused by rainfall in the GCC and wider Middle East should not be dismissed because it only rains a few times a year, said Johann Groult, General Manager of drainage manufacturer Birco.
As the region’s construction sector continues to see strong growth, countries will start to feel the long-term cost of not having adequate drainage installed, he noted.
“Due to climate change, rainfall with large amounts of precipitation is becoming more frequent around the world. While rain is less frequent in the Middle East now, we must ensure that roads and open spaces are equipped with high-capacity channels and large water reservoirs in anticipation of further changes in our climate,” Groult said, in a statement released ahead of The Big 5 exhibition next month.
BIRCO was the first German producer of a concrete channel covered with mesh grating in 1965, and received its first order for its drainage systems in the Gulf region in 2013. The firm – which serves heavy duty, landscaping, environment, and other project management systems – will be exhibiting at The Big 5 in Dubai, to be held from November 23-26 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
