WaveSave Demos SlamDam Flood Barrier on Governors Island
The portable rubber barrier, one of seven competition winners for urban climate adaptations, stands up to 1.3 meters high and is deployed in at least a dozen countries.
WaveSave is demonstrating its SlamDam portable flood barrier on New York City's Governors Island as one of seven winners in a competition for urban climate adaptations, according to technologyreview.com. The rubber barrier can be filled with a pump and stands up to 1.3 meters high.
SlamDam costs between €1,000 and €3,000 per five-meter section. An external partner manufactures all SlamDams in the Netherlands, and WaveSave aims to expand manufacturing beyond that arrangement.
The company has expanded into Africa and Southeast Asia, and SlamDam has been deployed in at least a dozen countries. SlamDam was developed in 2013 in the Netherlands and was initially tested and is still used by regional water authorities there. WaveSave was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
In the 2022 flood season, a SlamDam was deployed at the rural Mpanda commune in Burundi, where farmers with access to stored water produced more crops and doubled their incomes, according to a UN report. One research team that analyzed SlamDam's use in Kenya found challenges to adoption, including figuring out who should own and deploy the dam.
Quick answers
What is WaveSave's SlamDam?
SlamDam is a portable rubber flood barrier that can be filled with a pump and stands up to 1.3 meters high.
How much does SlamDam cost?
It costs between €1,000 and €3,000 per five-meter section.
Where is SlamDam being demonstrated?
WaveSave is demoing SlamDam on New York City's Governors Island as one of seven winners in a competition for urban climate adaptations.