Selecting Suitable Sites for Rainwater Harvesting using GIS & RS Technology in Port Sudan City, Sudan Through Hydrological Modeling

The city of Port Sudan is experiencing a serious scarcity of freshwater resources, which are essential for maintaining basic human living conditions, supporting industrial development, and enabling agricultural growth. Despite a lack of freshwater sources in the region, it frequently encounters flash floods caused by intense rainfall. These floods result in catastrophic events, leading to the loss of human lives and property, disrupting traffic and transportation, and causing partial or complete paralysis of daily life in the area. The study was conducted in Port Sudan City because of its significance as the administrative capital following the Sudan War. Port Sudan became the primary destination for the bulk of the Sudanese population, making it crucial to ensure the provision of fresh water. A hydrological analysis and spatial adjustment were conducted using the Arc GIS 10.8 program to address the issues of flood risk and water scarcity in this city. This program allowed for the selection of optimal locations to construct dams for rainwater harvesting. This program was preferred over traditional and manual methods, as it accounted for specific terrain characteristics that would have otherwise been overlooked. The study revealed a significant abundance of valleys in the area, stemming from the Red Sea mountain range situated west of the city. These valleys converge into seven primary valleys that ultimately drain into the Red Sea, being supplied by a total of 27 main basins. The regions most impacted by floods and the corresponding valleys were also identified, and two solutions were suggested. There are ten locations designated for the construction of dams, with six of them specifically chosen to safeguard the areas that are most subject to flooding.