Dubai’s RTA Opens New Flood Management Unit
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a ‘Joint Flood Management Room’ at its Enterprise Command and Control Centre (EC3), aimed at addressing water accumulation during heavy rain and managing traffic and transport modes.
The room, established in collaboration with Dubai Police General Headquarters, Dubai Municipality, and Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment, uses cutting-edge technologies to monitor response plans and allocate resources effectively.
RTA elevates Dubai’s smart city status
The initiative aligns with the RTA’s commitment to bolstering Dubai’s status as one of the world’s smartest cities and improving service levels, mobility, and safety for road users, the authority said in a statement.
By partnering with the National Centre of Meteorology, the RTA aims to enhance the collection of weather forecast information and rain enhancement in Dubai, enabling them to proactively prepare for and manage water accumulations during heavy rain.
To ensure preparedness for weather fluctuations and the upcoming monsoons, the RTA has formed a supervisory team comprising representatives from various entities.
This team has developed a comprehensive response plan and employed several technologies to enhance response effectiveness and reduce recovery time for water accumulations on major roads.
Key technologies deployed include a Heat Map illustrating areas of water accumulation and pump sites, a Video Wall Screen displaying live footage from 450 surveillance cameras covering the city’s main roads, the CITADEL Communication Platform providing real-time information to supervisory and field teams, and a Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV) equipped with surveillance cameras.
The establishment of the Joint Room has facilitated proactive preparations for the rainy season, fostering collaboration among partners and centralising information.
As a result, decision-making regarding the deployment of teams and resources has become faster, leading to a remarkable 36 percent improvement in response and recovery time compared to previous periods.
The RTA is committed to disseminating information and warning messages to the public through its digital channels.
In two phases, they plan to deliver proactive messages via social media based on information from the National Centre of Meteorology, emphasizing caution and safe driving for road users.
During the rainy period, the second phase will involve warning messages about the impact of weather conditions on the road network and transportation means. Immediate warnings for drivers will also be displayed through dynamic message signs on major roads in Dubai.
Operating under the Enterprise Command and Control Centre, the Joint Room focuses on managing water accumulations during heavy rain in a transportation network that spans over 8,000 km of roads.
The centre is equipped with a central control room featuring a large screen connected to 34 technical devices for real-time integration.
With access to feeds from over 7,000 surveillance cameras and leveraging artificial intelligence, the EC3 can effectively manage incidents and crises.
Additionally, mobile phone data is used for planning, managing mobility, and crowd control.
