Muscat – The Office of the Governor of South Sharqiyah held a meeting on Tuesday with International Marine and Dredging Consultants (IMDC), a Belgian firm that specialises in tackling a wide range of water-related issues, to find solutions to protect the city of Sur from the dangers of floods and rising water levels.

The meeting was chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Busaidi, Deputy Wali of Sur, in the presence of members of Majlis a’Shura, South Sharqiyah Municipal Council and several other relevant authorities.

The meeting discussed the damages suffered by Sur due to climatic conditions in the past few years, besides reviewing the efforts of the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority in dealing with adverse weather conditions and rescue operations.

The Engineering Services of the Ministry of Defence also reviewed its experience in dealing with extreme climatic conditions that Sur was exposed to.

Additionally, IMDC presented its experiences in rainwater drainage and discussed its proposal to conduct a study, which will include a field visit to find out the areas affected by rains, floods and rising sea level.

The Belgian company will submit a comprehensive report to the concerned authorities that includes proposed solutions to protect the city from future floods.

IMDC offers a range of specialist consultancy services to public and private sectors for coastal and estuarine management. It offers consultancy services for risk reduction and social, economic and ecosystem resilience enhancement through a combination of natural, nature-based, non-structural and structural measures.