How many sponges does it take to soak up a flood? A whole city’s worth… As the Middle East suffers from unprecedented flash floods, proposals for “sponge city technology” are being raised by climate consultants and engineers as a possible solution, according to the National. And no, we don’t mean literal sponges: Sponge cities are basically urban areas with lots of parks, lakes and other natural landscapes that can absorb excess water from flash floods. For cities lacking these natural barriers, developing man-made landscapes could be a solution, such as building underground reservoirs and sand barriers.

Why would this work particularly well in the MENA region? Reservoirs and sand barriers hold the water in storage until it can be reused if needed, which in a water-scarce region such as the GCC, would kill two birds with one stone, May Faraj, senior advisory director at WSP Middle East, tells the newspaper. Across the GCC, municipalities are exploring urban design solutions when looking at handling these floods, which look set to get worse. Officials at the Oman Housing Ministry estimate that 45% of Muscat is vulnerable to flooding from valleys, while 20% of the city is vulnerable to coastal floods, according to Muscat Daily.