Prince Sultan Project for Rainwater Management in Rural and Urban Areas of Saudi Arabia

Due to global changes in the environment, there is a change in the rainfall pattern of Saudi Arabia. Rain up to 67 mm during one night has been observed in Buraydah Al Qassim many times during the last few years.

Rainwater management in rural and urban areas has become an important part of water resources management in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The present research is focused on an optimal design of facilities for controlling, storing, and reusing flood water in Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The objectives of the study are to investigate that how damages from runoff can be reduced; how extra runoff can be used as a recharge to groundwater and reduce water losses from surface storage. Data has been collected for existing ponds in Buraydah Area. Infiltration, evaporation, and other climatic data for the ponds have been collected. Rainfall data has been taken from Meteorological Department in Qassim Area. Rainfall and runoff have been analyzed to find out flood discharges and volumes. Various options for existing surface storage with recharge wells have been tested to get an appropriate solution for controlling and storing runoff in the area. Field experiments have been executed to investigate recharge rates for subsoil strata. Results of the study will be useful in runoff control, mitigation of damages from runoff, appropriate storage, and recharge of runoff in various areas of Saudi Arabia.