Urban Stormwater Management in Dambi Dollo town: The case of Laga Hida river area.

Abstract

Sustainable urban Stormwater management is to develop the strategy of stormwater management for every spatial unit, from a single lot and building block up to a neighborhood and the whole city. The main aim of this research is to investigate the current effect and challenges of poor urban stormwater management of Dambi Dollo town in the case of the Laga Hida river area. In order to achieve the objective exploratory mixed research design and descriptive research types that involved both quantitative and qualitative analysis were developed. A questionnaire was conducted to households chosen from the site using a convenience sampling technique. Supplementary data was also gathered through selected key informant interviews, field observation, and by consulting secondary data sources. And data were analyzed by using different software. The result of the study revealed that the major effects of stormwater runoff include environmental degradation, economical loss, society health, and physical infrastructure destruction due to poor stormwater management of the study area. Likewise, the major provision challenges of the stormwater management system are land-use change, lack of contemporary urban plan and design implementation, shortage of stormwater management experts in the municipality, and others. Again the result of the study revealed that, the past and present strategies for stormwater management the municipality had taken are not successful its temporary solution not permanent. The major findings of the study indicated that stormwater runoff effects in Laga Hida river area caused due to Dambi Dollo town municipality can institutionally; lack of stormwater-related policy and stakeholder invitation, technically; lack of experts that prepare stormwater management techniques and socially; lack of community awareness on proper stormwater management and solid waste management that can to reduce the quantity and improve quality of stormwater. These practices decrease environmental degradation. Furthermore, results obtained from field observation indicated that very serious environmental degradation due to the inadequacies of drainage along most streets, lack of green space, and the result of poor stormwater management. Therefore, the recommendations of the study are; the municipality should applying Sustainable urban stormwater management proposed strategies through inviting different stakeholders to create awareness and technically support the community in how they start stormwater management practice.