Application of GIS in flood hazard mapping: a case study of Gangetic West Bengal, India (original) (raw)

GIS-based flood hazard mapping at different administrative scales: A case study in Gangetic West Bengal, India

Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 2006

This paper addresses the need for an efficient and cost-effective methodology for preparing flood hazard maps in data poor countries, particularly those under a monsoon regime where floods pose a recurrent danger. Taking Gangetic West Bengal, India, as an example and using available historical data from government agencies, the study compiled a regional map indicating hazard prone subregional areas for further detailed investigation, thereby isolating actual high risk localities. Using a GIS (Geographical Information System), a composite hazard index was devised incorporating variables of flood frequency, population density, transportation networks, access to potable water, and availability of high ground and maximum risk zones were mapped accordingly. A digital elevation model derived from high resolution imagery available in the public domain was used to calculate elevated areas suitable for temporary shelter during a flood. Selecting administrative units of analysis at the lowest possible scales -rural development blocks (regional) and revenue villages (subregional) -also ensures that hazard mapping is prepared in line with the existing rural planning and administrative authorities responsible for remedial intervention.

Flood-Hazard Mapping In A Regional Scale – Way Forward To The Future Hazard Atlas In Bangladesh.

Malaysian Journal of Geosciences, 2019

Flood causes substantial economic loss and hindrance to development activities in many developing countries of the world. Bangladesh, a developing country in Southeast Asia is ranked as the world's ninth-most disaster-prone country by the World Risk Report, 2018 because of its high exposure to multiple hazards and less coping and adaptive capacities. The country is recurrently hit by flood hazard almost every year. Being a densely populated country with the fragile economic condition, Bangladesh urgently needs to focus on future flood-risk reduction with more effective measures in order to sustain the development milestone achieved till now. Flood hazard mapping, an initial phase of risk understanding (i.e., perception and knowledge), is often considered to be an indispensable component of flood-risk reduction strategies. In line with the contention, the present study aimed towards flood hazard mapping in Bangladesh where flood prone northeastern part of the country is taken as a case area. Multi-criteria evaluation technique (MCE) for hazard mapping has been employed where elevation, slope, distance from river, land use and landcover (LULC), precipitation, flow length, and population density were taken as the causative factors. Each factor, as well as their subclasses, were assigned with pertinent weight values based on expert knowledge by analytical hierarchy process (AHP)and subsequently integrated into geographic information system (GIS) platform. According to the final flood-susceptibility map, ~4241 km 2 (~ 20% of the total area) area is categorized as the highest flood potential zone which encompasses mostly the southern part of the study area, including Gazipur, Narsingdi, and Brahmanbaria districts. In contrast, low flood potential zone covers ~9362 Km 2 (~43% of the total area) area covering the northwestern and southwestern parts (e.g., Mymensing and Tangail districts) of the study region. Besides, a considerable portion of the study region, mostly in the western part (e.g., Sunamganj and Kishoreganj districts) is categorized as moderate flood potential zone encompassing ~7823 km 2 (~ 35% of the study area) area. Population density, distance to river and topographic characteristics are found as the most influencing factors for the mapping of flood-risk zones in the current study. This type of assessment in a regional scale may serve as a guide to the relevant stakeholders to formulate flood hazard atlas and minimize the adverse impact of the future flood in Bangladesh.

GIS-based Flood Risk Mapping: The Case Study of Kosi River Basin, Bihar, India

Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research

Flood risk mapping aims to create an easily read and rapidly accessible map to prioritize the mitigation effects. This study presents an empirical approach to flood risk mapping through the integration of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. SRTM 30m DEM is processed using ArcGIS 10.3 software. The study methodology includes the selection of the study area, the identification of the factors responsible for flood and collection of the required data, the generation of the desired thematic layers, and their integration to produce the flood risk map. Geomorphic, hydrologic, and socio-economic analyses are carried out to generate the thematic layers, namely slope, district`s distance to active stream, highest elevation, drainage density, rainfall, population density, and land use-land cover. AHP is used to determine the relative impact weight of the thematic layers. The influence of each thematic layer and the scale values provided based ...

Spatial Flood Potential Mapping with Flood Probability and Exposure Indicators of Flood Vulnerability: A Case Study from West Bengal, India

International journal of georesources and environment, 2017

Flood is an annual event in the district of Jalpaiguri. Almost all the administrative blocks of the district are more or less flood prone. Numerous rivers and rivulets are originated and pass through this district, which create floods mainly on account of rainfall in the source regions of these rivers, apart from rainfalls in the district itself. The shivering rivers during monsoon periods carry massive discharge and frequently cross danger levels. Danger level is the threshold level of water from which the event is considered as a flood. The probability of the occurrence of flood can be calculated with the past records of flood events in flood prone areas. On the other hand, the vulnerability of flood events is entirely dependent on the exposure of the area. Exposure of the area and the probability of the adjacent rivers can explain how much this area is subject to floods. In this paper, the authors tried to prepare a spatial flood potential map for the entire district based on probability analysis and an exposure indicator.

Multi criteria analysis for flood hazard mapping using GIS techniques: a case study of Ghaghara River basin in Uttar Pradesh, India

Flooding is one of the major issues in the low lying area of Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Ghaghara basin witnesses the floods every year in Indian sub-continent and has caused loss of numerous lives and land for several decades. It may not be stopped but can be preventive. The present study is an attempt to initiate the flood risk zonation by defining multiple criteria for evaluating this major issue in Ghaghara basin, Uttar Pradesh, India. The work was done using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote sensing (RS) data of (Linear Imaging Self Scanning) LISS III, SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) data, and Survey of India (SOI) toposheet. The yearly average interpolated rainfall and multiple themes like slope, micro-watersheds, drainage density, land use/land cover (LULC), soil moisture, and soil surface texture were used to delineate the flood hazard risk zonation map. The study identified promising results for the establishment and categorization of flood risk zones into very low hazard risk zone (4%), low hazard risk zone (8.5%), moderate hazard risk zone (23.6%), high hazard risk zone (42%), and very high risk zones (21.9%). It is estimated on the basis of the study that~27,490 localities were influenced by floods along the major channels, i.e., Ghaghara, Sarda, and Rapti. The results of this study could allow better relief operations and reduce the risk of flooding.

Flood Risk Assessment and Its Mapping in Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal, India

Water, 2022

Floods are one of the most common quasi-natural hazards in costal districts of West Bengal, India and thousands of people are affected every year. From the destruction of crop lands and buildings to the disruption of balance of the environment and the spreading of disease, floods can devastate entire regions. The risk of flood depends on the flood intensity, frequency, and duration, the vulnerability of the people, etc. The spatiality of flood risk is still insufficient at micro level study for the management of resource disasters. In consequence, the present study on ‘flood risk mapping’ is performed in Purba Medinipur (one of the coastal districts of West Bengal, India) by considering the flood frequency and vulnerability of the people as flood risk components. The frequency of floods from 2002 to 2019 is considered as a variable of assessment and twenty-five key indicators are employed to understand the vulnerability of the people of the region. From the analysis, Moyna emerges a...

A geographic information system-based approach of flood hazards modelling, Paschim Medinipur district, West Bengal, India

Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies

From the beginning of civilisation, human beings have preferred living on the river banks which have been the most vulnerable areas of flood hazards and consequent disasters. During the monsoon period, in many developing countries of south-east Asia, flood hazards and disasters have been a serious challenge for their development. Most of the rivers exceed their normal channel capacity attaining the flood stage and frequently overflow their banks, causing great havoc to the life and property of the people. Flooding is a very serious problem in many districts of West Bengal. The prime concern of delineation of flood-prone areas is to regulate the land use in the flood-prone areas to restrict damage potential and also mitigate the negative effects of floods on people and the economy. In a regulated way, flood-prone areas are required to be developed. Because, on one hand, it is to be ensured that existing hazard and flood damage potential do not increase and new developmental works bec...

FLOOD HAZARD ZONING FOR REDUCING FLOOD RISK: A REMOTE SENSING AND GIS BASED APPROACH IN SIPAJHAR DEVELOPMENT BLOCK, DARRANG DISTRICT OF ASSAM

Flood is considered to be the most common natural disaster worldwide during the last decades. The study area Sipajhar Development Block of Darrang district of Assam is prone to flood and bank erosion because of its topographical and hydrological characteristics. The three main river passing through this region namely Nonoi, Barnadi and Saktola create high magnitude flood due to its high volume of water in every year. The river Brahmaputra flowing in the southern part of the area also create flood year by year which plays significant impact upon the existing socio economic conditions of the people. Through flood hazard zoning the losses can be prevented and reduced by providing reliable information to the public about the flood risk. The Flood hazard zonation map for the study area has been prepared by weighted overlay analysis method where the DEM and other layers such as drainage, soil, geology, landuse etc. are taken to analyse in GIS environment. The maximum flood inundated villages were integrated for assessing the frequency of inundation and subsequent generation of the hazard layer. The main objectives of this study are to mapping the flood hazard zone which is utmost need for management and mitigation of flood.

Flood Hazard Mapping In Dikrong Basin Of Arunachal Pradesh (India)

2011

Flood zoning studies have become more efficient in recent years because of the availability of advanced computational facilities and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In the present study, flood inundated areas were mapped using GIS for the Dikrong river basin of Arunachal Pradesh, India, corresponding to different return periods (2, 5, 25, 50, and 100 years). Further, the developed inundation maps corresponding to 25, 50, and 100 year return period floods were compared to corresponding maps developed by conventional methods as reported in the Brahmaputra Board Master Plan for Dikrong basin. It was found that, the average deviation of modelled flood inundation areas from reported map inundation areas is below 5% (4.52%). Therefore, it can be said that the modelled flood inundation areas matched satisfactorily with reported map inundation areas. Hence, GIS techniques were proved to be successful in extracting the flood inundation extent in a time and cost effective manner ...

GIS-based flood hazard mapping using relative frequency ratio method: A case study of Panjkora River Basin, eastern Hindu Kush, Pakistan

PLOS ONE, 2020

Flood is the most devastating and prevalent disaster among all-natural disasters. Every year, flood claims hundreds of human lives and causes damage to the worldwide economy and environment. Consequently, the identification of flood-vulnerable areas is important for comprehensive flood risk management. The main objective of this study is to delineate flood-prone areas in the Panjkora River Basin (PRB), eastern Hindu Kush, Pakistan. An initial extensive field survey and interpretation of Landsat-7 and Google Earth images identified 154 flood locations that were inundated in 2010 floods. Of the total, 70% of flood locations were randomly used for building a model and 30% were used for validation of the model. Eight flood parameters including slope, elevation, land use, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), topographic wetness index (TWI), drainage density, and rainfall were used to map the flood-prone areas in the study region. The relative frequency ratio was used to determine the correlation between each class of flood parameter and flood occurrences. All of the factors were resampled into a pixel size of 30×30 m and were reclassified through the natural break method. Finally, a final hazard map was prepared and reclassified into five classes, i.e., very low, low, moderate, high, very high susceptibility. The results of the model were found reliable with area under curve values for success and prediction rate of 82.04% and 84.74%, respectively. The findings of this study can play a key role in flood hazard management in the target region; they can be used by the local disaster management authority, researchers, planners, local government, and line agencies dealing with flood risk management.