Kalba fights losing battle against the sea

Expressing helplessness in the face of seasonal flooding of the Kalba and Dibba beaches and adjoining areas, officials at Kalba Municipality have drawn attention to their limited budget. Kalba and Dibba beaches, in Fujairah, have been facing an onslaught of sea water since Monday due to rising waves along the eastern coast as the summer sets in, an occurrence that is repeated every year. The hardest-hit areas this year have been Suhaila, Khor Kalba, Sea beach park and corniche street. Ahmad Al Hoora, director of Kalba Municipality, told Gulf News that the option of building barriers or breakwaters by way of a permanent solution to the problem lay with Sharjah Municipality because such projects would require a huge budget. "The best solution to stop flooding due to seasonal phenomena is to have breakwaters. However, we [at Kalba Municipality] cannot take up this project on our own because we have a limited budget," he said. Article continues below Al Hoora claimed that committees and consultants from Sharjah Municipality had visited the area several times in the past to take up the breakwater project, but made little headway. "We hope it will happen soon. Currently, as temporary options, we can only pump out the water and put up cement barriers to reduce the amount of flooding." Despite repeated attempts, Sharjah Municipality could not be reached for comment on the issue. Forecast Meanwhile, according to the meteorological office, residents in the cities of Dibba and Kalba must brace for higher sea levels today as well. However, the water is expected to recede over the weekend. "The flooding occurred as a result of a South Easterly wind combined with the current position of the moon that caused five to six- foot high waves [1.5 to 1.8 metres]. Because of that, the tide rose and water entered the cities," a representative from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology told Gulf News. "Despite Kalba being a coastal city, it is actually lower than the coastline, so when conditions such as these arise, flooding is the result. In fact, it experienced a similar flooding situation last month," he added. The problem is not likely to persist because the wind is expected to wane tomorrow. "There should not be any more floods occurring in the emirate after Thursday, as the wind should begin decreasing. However, humidity levels across the UAE are expected to range from approximately 30 per cent to 100 per cent, depending on the location," he said. "For coastal areas and islands, such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, day temperatures will average 33 to 40 degrees Celsius, while for inland locations, such as Al Ain, the temperatures will be higher, averaging from 41 to 46 degrees Celsius. Mountainous areas, such as Jebel Hafeet [in Al Ain] will experience a lower temperature range, from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius."