Wadi Sharm

Wadi Sharm Wādī Sharm
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Native name	وادي شرم (Arabic)
Location
Country	United Arab Emirates
Emirate	Fujairah
Physical characteristics
Source	Northwestern slope of Jabal Badiyah (459 m (1,506 ft))
• elevation	370 m (1,210 ft) (approximately)
Mouth	Coastal and port area of the city of Sharm, in the Gulf of Oman.
• coordinates	25°27′57.4″N56°21′41.8″E / 25.465944°N 56.361611°E / 25.465944; 56.361611
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	4 km (2.5 mi)
Basin size	6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Basin features
River system	Wadi Sharm

The Wadi Sharm (Arabic : وادي شرم, romanized: Wādī Sharm) ^{[1] [2] [3]} is a valley or dry river with flow ephemeral or intermittent, flowing almost exclusively during the rainy season, located in the northeast of the United Arab Emirates, in the Emirate of Fujairah.

It forms its own drainage basin, covering an area of approximately 6 km² (2.3 sq mi), bordered to the north by the Wadi al Huwaybit / Wādī Liḩwе̄biţ; to the west by the Wadi Zikt and Wadi Wurayah, and to the south by Al Bidiyah. ^{[4] [5]}

The wadi originates on the northwestern slope of Jabal Badiyah (459 m (1,506 ft)), ^[6] and runs towards the coast, from southwest to east, zigzagging between steep, low hills, composed almost entirely of harzburgite, with a very steep and rugged relief.

On its course, the Wadi Sharm passes through the small town of Sharm (Sha'biyyah Sharm). ^{[1] [7]}

Floods, dams and reservoirs

As in other regions of the UAE, the coastal area of Sharm has occasionally been affected by unusually heavy rainfall and flooding. ^[8]

Flooding was particularly severe on March 23, 2009, following heavy rains and the collapse of the old earthen dam at the Wadi Sharm. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

Wadi Sharm, currently channeled through the town of Sharm

When the old dam collapsed, the water contained in the reservoir flooded the city of Sharm, with 2,500 inhabitants, affecting entire neighborhoods, covering farms and roads with debris, disrupting the lives of hundreds of people. As a result, the damage caused by the flood amounted to millions of dollars. ^[13]

In the wake of this disaster, and to prevent the danger of flash floods and increase the potential for groundwater recharge, A new dam was built on the Wadi Sharm riverbed (coordinates: 25°28′6″N, 56°20′31″E). ^[14]

Toponymy

Alternative names: Wādī Sharm, Wadi Sharam, Ghalīlat Da'ān

The name and cartographic references of Wadi Sharm (with the spelling Wadi Sharam) were recorded in the documentation and maps produced between 1950 and 1960 by the British Arabist, cartographer, military officer and diplomat Julian F. Walker, during the work carried out to establish borders between the then called Trucial States, ^[15] later completed by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, on scale maps 1:100,000 published in 1971. ^[2]

In the National Atlas of the United Arab Emirates it appears with the spelling Wādī Sharm. ^[1]

Population

The Wadi Sharm area was mainly populated by the sharquiyín or sharqiyin tribe, ^[16] corresponding to the tribal section of Hamudiyin / Hamūdiyīn. ^{[17] [18]}

In the work of the British diplomat and historian John Gordon Lorimer, published in 1908 Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia , reference is made to the village of Sharm/Sharam, describing it as a village of 40 houses of Sharqiyin, situated on the coast, the next village south of Dhadnah, which has 2,000 date palms, 4 camels, 10 donkeys, 50 cattle and 200 sheep and goats. ^[19]

See also

• List of wadis of the United Arab Emirates
• List of mountains in the United Arab Emirates
• List of wadis of Oman
• List of mountains in Oman

References

1. Jāmiʻat al-Imārāt al-ʻArabīyah al-Muttaḥidah. Geoprojects (U.K.) Ltd., The National atlas of the United Arab Emirates, Al Ain : United Arab Emirates University - 1993
2. Map FCO 18/1791 - 1972 - Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE): Dibba - Scale 1:100 000 - Published by D Survey, Ministry of Defense, United Kingdom (1971) - Edition 3-GSGS - The National Archives, London, England <https://www.agda.ae/en/catalogue/tna/fco/18/1791/n/1>
3. Mindat.org - Ghalīlat Da‘‘ān, Al Fujayrah, United Arab Emirates
4. Alhogaraty E. Environmental assessment for a biosphere reserve in the eastern region of the United Arab Emirates with help of geoinformatics (Doctoral dissertation). Chapter Eight - Hydrology and Hydrogeology<https://epub.ub.uni-greifswald.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/646/file/16._Chapter_8._HydroHydrgeo_Revised.pdf>
5. Alhogaraty E. Environmental assessment for a biosphere reserve in the eastern region of the United Arab Emirates with help of geoinformatics (Doctoral dissertation). Chapter Seven - Human activities<https://epub.ub.uni-greifswald.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/646/file/15._Chapter_7._Environmental_Stress_Revised.pdf>
6. Mindat.org - Jabal Badīyah, Al Fujayrah, United Arab Emirates
7. Mindat.org - Sharm, Al Fujayrah, United Arab Emirates
8. "UAE weather warning: Hailstones, flooding, and strong winds in parts of country. Tamara Wright, 2023". whatson.ae. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
9. "Fujairah PWD denies reports of Dam collapse. March 23, 2009". www.wam.ae. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
10. "Khalifa orders dam built in flooded area - Residents of damaged homes try to salvage what possessions they can as Red Crescent Authority distributes aid to stricken families. March 24, 2009". www.thenationalnews.com. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
11. "President instructs construction of dam at Sharm Valley in Fujairah. March 24, 2009". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
12. Dhanhani, Hamdan & Duncan, Angus & Chester, David. (2010). United Arab Emirates: Disaster Management with Regard to Rapid Onset Natural Disasters. Advanced ICTs for Disaster Management and Threat Detection: Collaborative and Distributed Frameworks. 65-79. 10.4018/978-1-61520-987-3.ch005. https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/44844
13. Dhanhani, Hamdan Al Ghasyah (2010) ' Evaluation of the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire. https://uobrep.openrepository.com/handle/10547/241787
14. "Work on increasing dam's capacity to begin soon - 2012". www.khaleejtimes.com. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
15. FCO 18/1969 - 1959 - Sketch map drawn by Julian Walker for boundary delimitation: Dibba - The National Archives, London, England <https://www.agda.ae/en/catalogue/tna/fco/18/1969>
16. "Mindat.org - Sharqīyīn, Ra's al Khaymah, United Arab Emirates". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
17. FO 371/114648 - 1955 Land and sea boundaries of Trucial Sheikhdoms in Persian Gulf - The National Archives, London, England <https://www.agda.ae/en/catalogue/tna /fo/371/114648/n/138>
18. FO 371/132894 1958 Tribes of Trucial States coast - The National Archives, London, England <https://www.agda. ae/en/catalogue/tna/fo/371/132894/n/94
19. Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf. Vol. II. Geographical and Statistical. J G Lorimer. 1908', British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/C91/4, in Qatar Digital Library <https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000884.0x00014b/ IOR_L_PS_20_C91_4_1820.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg>

External links

Media related to Wadi Sharm (Fujairah) at Wikimedia Commons