WADI HANIFA WETLANDS

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Moriyama & Teshima Planners Ltd., Buro Happold

The Wadi Hanifa is the longest valley near Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, spanning almost 2,500 square miles within an arid region that has been exploited for development. Prehistorically, the region was arable, with oases and considerable rainfall that has ceased due to anthropogenic climate change. In 1982, the first large sewage treatment facility in Riyadh was opened, which channels runoff downstream through the valley. Overtime, this runoff has created a series of ponds and lakes in a 50 mile corridor. The wetlands project was established to restore and develop the valley as an environmental, recreational and tourism resources by introducing additional landscape of arid wetland species, removing industrial and municipal waste, designating conservation areas, and enhancing the agricultural land within the valley, as well as creating infrastructure like a wastewater treatment facility to provide additional water resources for inhabitants across the city, from urbanized Riyadh to rural farmers. A series of three ponds uses algae to filter water, while 115 acres of wetlands and 35 acres of seeded grasses and perennials provide habitat for bird and amphibian species. The project team built a detailed model of the Wadi system using hydraulic modeling and detailed LiDAR topographic survey data to predict flood flows, levels and the extents for a range of storms. This data was used to site recreational opportunities in areas that are not subject to flash flooding, while expanding the very limited open spaces in Riyadh, and gentrifying communities along the path of the project, as well as providing space where Saudis and foreigners can mix, with over 200,000 visitors weekly.

2001 - ongoing
988422 acres
2057 feet above sea level

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