Flash flood mitigation using watershed management tools: Petra Area (Jordan)

Petra is located in the southwest region of Jordan about 200 km south of Amman between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was carved in sandstone canyons by the Nabatean Arabs over 2,000 years ago. It is a major tourism attraction, as its monuments are considered the jewels of Jordan. Floods pose a serious threat to the tourist activities as well as to the monuments themselves. To alleviate the impact of flood risk in Petra, different flood mitigation measures are investigated. The impact of these measures on flood-peak flow and volume is evaluated. They include afforestation, terracing, and the construction of check and storage dams, as well as various combinations of these measures. A flood simulation model depicts reductions of up to 70 % in flood-peak flows and volumes due to these flood mitigation strategies.