Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca

Programme Overview

Rapid urbanisation and intensifying wet seasons present severe structural challenges to low-lying metropolitan areas across Central and West Africa. This five-day course in Casablanca addresses the urgent requirement for robust urban drainage networks, retention basins, and protective embankments. Participants examine advanced stormwater civil works, hydraulic modelling principles, and sustainable drainage solutions adapted to fragile municipal settings. The syllabus prioritises engineering durability and climate resilience to safeguard vulnerable communities from recurrent inundation risks.

Delivered through a practical engineering lens, the programme equips technical personnel to plan, design, and supervise substantial earthworks and structural flood defences. Attendees explore urban hydrology methodologies, sediment management, and primary drainage corridor preservation. Instruction covers international specifications and standard conditions of contract relevant to large-scale municipal infrastructure. Technical visits in Casablanca expose practitioners to coastal and peri-urban stormwater schemes, integrated pumping stations, and modern maintenance regimes implemented in a major regional hub.

Supervision of donor-financed flood alleviation works demands rigorous quality assurance, environmental compliance, and long-term asset management planning. Participants review civil works contract administration, material testing protocols, and mechanical equipment lifecycle maintenance. By integrating international design standards with the practical realities of low-gradient, high-silt environments, the training ensures municipal institutions can effectively mitigate disaster risks, oversee civil works contractors, and protect vital public assets during extreme rainfall events.

Recurrent wet-season flooding in low-lying Sahelian and Central African capitals causes devastating displacements, asset losses, and public health emergencies. Major donor-financed initiatives, such as the US$150m N'Djamena Urban Resilience Project, are currently financing primary drainage canals, retention ponds, and embankment works to protect vulnerable populations. Delivering these complex investments requires immediate technical capacity to design resilient hydraulic networks, manage civil engineering contracts, and operate critical pumping assets under challenging environmental conditions.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Casablanca, Morocco, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Hydrological cycle in urbanised catchments: precipitation analysis and design storms
• Runoff estimation methodologies using the Rational Method and unit hydrographs
• Hydraulic design of primary and secondary open drainage canals using Manning's equation
• Culvert sizing, junction structures, and energy dissipation at discharge points
• Addressing high sediment loads, silting risks, and clearing regimes in design
• Siting, sizing, and geometric design of urban stormwater retention and detention basins
• Geotechnical considerations: embankment stability, soil compaction, and seepage control
• Design and specification of earth dikes, flood protection bunds, and perimeter levees
• Climate and environmental risk assessment
• Adaptation and mitigation planning
• Sector strategies for energy, water and land
• Project design for climate and environmental goals

It is designed for municipal civil engineers responsible for urban infrastructure and drainage, urban resilience and flood risk management project officers, civil works supervision inspectors and site engineers and others who want practical, current skills in climate, environment and natural resources.

The Growing Importance of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca

Climate change, environmental pressure and resource management now shape national plans, budgets and investment decisions. Financiers increasingly expect climate and environmental considerations to be built into projects from the start.

Institutions that can plan for climate risks, manage natural resources well and prepare sound proposals are better placed to protect services and to access the funding available for this work.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Assess climate and environmental risks to their services and assets
• Design projects that meet climate and environmental goals
• Prepare proposals that financiers can approve
• Measure and report results credibly
• Work with communities and partners across sectors

Strong climate, environment and natural resources systems help organisations:

• Protect services and infrastructure from climate risks
• Access climate and environmental finance
• Meet national and international commitments
• Use natural resources sustainably

This Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Municipal civil engineers responsible for urban infrastructure and drainage
• Urban resilience and flood risk management project officers
• Civil works supervision inspectors and site engineers
• Hydrological and hydraulic design specialists within public ministries
• Engineers managing donor-funded Project Implementation Units (PIUs)
• Public works directors overseeing municipal asset maintenance
• Urban development specialists from land-use planning agencies
• Technical officers responsible for drainage pump station operations
• Disaster risk reduction professionals focused on urban flood control
• Climate change and environment officers
• Energy, water and agriculture sector staff
• Planning and policy officers

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training, participants will be able to:

• Design resilient urban stormwater drainage networks, retention basins, and flood containment embankments for low-gradient municipal catchments
• Apply hydrological and hydraulic calculation methods using the Rational Method and standard open-channel hydraulic equations
• Incorporate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and nature-based retention solutions into existing urban spatial plans
• Supervise civil works contracts under standard multilateral development bank conditions and technical specifications
• Implement comprehensive quality control protocols for earthworks, concrete structures, gabions, and geosynthetic materials
• Formulate preventative operation and maintenance plans for municipal drainage corridors and stormwater pumping assets
• Evaluate environmental and social mitigation requirements during urban civil works construction in densely settled zones
• Explain the main climate and environmental challenges for their sector
• Assess climate and environmental risks to services and assets
• Plan adaptation and mitigation measures

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

The programme runs over 5 days. Each day combines expert input, practical work and a closing workshop or case study:

• First Day: Urban Hydrology and Stormwater Drainage Network Design
• Second Day: Retention Basins, Attenuation Assets, and Embankment Engineering
• Third Day: Stormwater Pumping Stations and Electro-Mechanical Infrastructure
• Fourth Day: Site Inspection: Urban Drainage and Stormwater Works in Casablanca
• Fifth Day: Technical Visits, International Practice & Institutional Action Planning

Full day-by-day contents

First Day | Urban Hydrology and Stormwater Drainage Network Design

• Hydrological cycle in urbanised catchments: precipitation analysis and design storms
• Runoff estimation methodologies using the Rational Method and unit hydrographs
• Hydraulic design of primary and secondary open drainage canals using Manning's equation
• Culvert sizing, junction structures, and energy dissipation at discharge points
• Addressing high sediment loads, silting risks, and clearing regimes in design

Workshop: Urban Hydrology and Stormwater Drainage Network Design: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Second Day | Retention Basins, Attenuation Assets, and Embankment Engineering

• Siting, sizing, and geometric design of urban stormwater retention and detention basins
• Geotechnical considerations: embankment stability, soil compaction, and seepage control
• Design and specification of earth dikes, flood protection bunds, and perimeter levees
• Application of geotextiles, gabion mattresses, and rip-rap for scour protection
• Integration of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and urban natural retention features

Workshop: Retention Basins, Attenuation Assets, and Embankment Engineering: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Third Day | Stormwater Pumping Stations and Electro-Mechanical Infrastructure

• Pumping station configuration for low-lying catchments without gravity discharge
• Pump selection criteria: submersible, axial, and mixed-flow units for dirty stormwater
• Intake sump geometry, screen design, and automated trash raking mechanisms
• Power resilience: grid connections, standby diesel generation, and backup controls
• Preventative maintenance schedules and asset lifecycle planning for electro-mechanical plant

Case Study: Stormwater Pumping Stations and Electro-Mechanical Infrastructure in Practice

Participants analyse a realistic case, compare the choices made with good practice and draw lessons they can use in their own setting.

Fourth Day | Site Inspection: Urban Drainage and Stormwater Works in Casablanca

• Briefing on Casablanca's stormwater management master plan and coastal outfalls
• Field inspection of primary stormwater collector infrastructure and open canals
• Site visit to an active retention basin and high-capacity stormwater pumping station
• Review of maintenance access arrangements, desilting equipment, and sediment traps
• Technical debriefing and comparative analysis for low-lying Sahelian urban contexts

Workshop: Site Inspection: Urban Drainage and Stormwater Works in Casablanca: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Fifth Day | Technical Visits, International Practice & Institutional Action Planning

• Contractor supervision frameworks under FIDIC Pink and Red Book conditions
• Quality assurance protocols: soil testing, concrete batching, and material approvals
• Managing environmental and social risks in densely populated urban rights-of-way
• Site inspection reporting, variation order assessment, and measurement of works
• Commissioning procedures, hand-over testing, and drafting municipal maintenance plans

Capstone Exercise: Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Action Plan for Your Institution

Participants bring the week together in an action plan for their own institution, with priorities, owners and first steps, and present it for feedback from peers and facilitators.

Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training Methodology

The training is conducted in person through an engineering-focused structure combining interactive lectures, practical calculation exercises, and real-world project reviews. Participants examine case studies from Sahelian and North African urban flood schemes, applying standard hydrological and hydraulic tools to real municipal scenarios. A dedicated full-day technical site visit in Casablanca allows participants to inspect operational retention basins, pumping facilities, and drainage corridors. Working groups evaluate civil works contracts and inspection protocols to develop transferable solutions for their home institutions.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Technical visits to institutions and sites
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Technical Visits and Site Programme

The programme includes visits to institutions, projects or sites in and around Casablanca where participants see current practice at first hand and meet the professionals responsible. Visits are confirmed with the host organisations before the programme and may change for operational reasons.

• Briefings by host institutions on their approach and results
• Guided site visits with time for questions
• Structured observation notes for each visit
• Group debrief linking what was seen to participants' own institutions

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training, participants will be able to:

• Produce hydraulic designs for open channels, retention basins, and embankments adapted to extreme urban rainfall
• Formulate rigorous technical specifications and quality control procedures for municipal flood protection civil works
• Administer civil engineering construction contracts in compliance with multilateral development bank standards
• Establish preventative maintenance schedules for primary canals, desilting basins, and electromechanical pump stations
• Apply appropriate sediment management and erosion control measures to preserve urban drainage capacity
• Develop operational handover protocols and municipal asset management strategies for completed flood mitigation works
• Assess climate and environmental risks
• Plan adaptation and mitigation measures

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Climate and environmental planning
• Project design
• Access to finance
• Results measurement
• Stakeholder involvement

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Risk assessments
• Concept notes
• Results frameworks
• Monitoring systems
• Partnership arrangements

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply climate, environment and natural resources within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in climate, environment and natural resources increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on climate, environment and natural resources. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to climate, environment and natural resources that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Casablanca, Morocco brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how climate, environment and natural resources is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Morocco

Training programmes and study tours in Casablanca suit government officials, project teams and professionals focusing on international trade, maritime transport, banking and regional economic development.

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Readiness Assessment
• Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca Training Manual
• Climate Risk Screening Checklist
• Options Appraisal Template
• Concept Note Template
• Results Measurement Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Funding Readiness Checklist
• Monitoring and Reporting Template
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions assess climate and environmental risks to their services and assets?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Urban Hydrology and Stormwater Drainage Network Design), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions design projects that meet climate and environmental goals?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Retention Basins, Attenuation Assets, and Embankment Engineering), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions prepare proposals that financiers can approve?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Stormwater Pumping Stations and Electro-Mechanical Infrastructure), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions measure and report results credibly?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Site Inspection: Urban Drainage and Stormwater Works in Casablanca), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions work with communities and partners across sectors?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Technical Visits, International Practice & Institutional Action Planning), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Urban Stormwater Infrastructure and Flood Protection Civil Works in Casablanca programme take place?

It runs from 20 Sep 2027 to 24 Sep 2027, in Casablanca, Morocco. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for municipal civil engineers responsible for urban infrastructure and drainage, urban resilience and flood risk management project officers, civil works supervision inspectors and site engineers, hydrological and hydraulic design specialists within public ministries, and others who want practical skills in climate, environment and natural resources.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in climate, environment and natural resources?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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