As the country reeled from the aftermath of heavy rains and floods, residents of Laikipia County breathed a sigh of relief with the adoption of a slamdam. This is a new flood control technology adopted by the Laikipia County Government saw some parts prone to flooding spared the devastating effects of the heavy rains.
Slamdam technology, borrowed from the Netherlands, uses synthetic tubes filled with water. The Slamdam is a compact and easily deployable temporary flood defense system, capable of being installed by two people within an hour to cover 100 meters in length with a 50 cm high barrier. Its highly elastic EPDM material allows it to adapt to any surface, easily accommodating bumps. The tubes are used as flowing water barriers to block flooding waters and push them back to their course.
The Slamdam’s innovative design features two interconnected compartments filled with water simultaneously, creating a robust emergency dam. When external water pressure is applied, the stressed compartment rises slightly, allowing the second compartment to provide the necessary counter pressure, effectively resisting high water levels. To set up the Slamdam, unroll it, position it with a 2 cm overlap, fill it with water, and seal the caps, making it ready to act as a water barrier.
Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, who oversaw the installation of the SLAMdams in Wiyumiririe village in Laikipia North and Rumuruti Town earlier this year in anticipation of heavy rainfall, stated that by adopting this technology, the county has avoided the severe impacts of floods and managed to collect and store over 500,000 liters of water.
“Through the FLoCCA (Financing Locally Led Climate Change Action) program, we shall be acquiring more slam dams to store water for irrigation. We have been impressed by this technology which is a climate change adaptation measure,” said the governor.
At Chumvi, the Matangi Dam, built by the Laikipia County Government a few years ago, overflowed and created a wide river. However, 30 downstream households were protected thanks to the deployment of 50 slam dams, spanning a total length of 250 meters.
The slamdam is designed with practical dimensions and easy assembly in mind. Its compact transportation boxes make it easy to transport, enabling rapid deployment for various purposes, even in hard-to-reach locations. Compared to traditional sandbags, the slamdam requires significantly less transportation and human effort to construct an effective emergency dam quickly.
In emergencies, the slamdam can be swiftly deployed to create reservoirs, such as around areas where contaminated water may pose a threat. Key advantages include its quick and easy setup, lightweight design (32 kg), ease of filling with water, simple removal, minimal storage space requirements, and straightforward maintenance.
According to UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2021, there is an urgent need to scale up climate adaptation measures and finance. Estimated adaptation costs in developing countries are five to 10 times greater than current public adaptation finance flows, and the gap is widening.
