Assessment of Flood Vulnerability of the Dongting Lake Area in China with Regard to Land Use/Cover Change

Abstract

Mao, D.; Fu, X.; Wang, J., and Guo, R., 2019. Assessment of flood vulnerability of the Dongting Lake Area in China with regard to land use/cover change. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 388–396. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.A flood vulnerability comprehensive evaluation model (FVCEM) was established by interpreting remote sensing (RS) image data for 1987, 1998, and 2008 using Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) software and a geographical information system (GIS), as well as analysing historical disaster maps and statistical yearbook data regarding flood disasters in the Dongting Lake Area in China. Using the method of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) etc., the influence of land use/cover change on flood vulnerability was studied. The vulnerability of the local population and economy to flooding was assessed by means of FVCEM. The results showed that the vulnerability parameters of hazard-affected bodies were different for different land use types, which influenced the subsequent flood vulnerability. The flood vulnerability value over the period of 1987-2008 exhibited an increasing trend, with obvious spatial heterogeneity. The hinterland of the Dongting Lake Area was found to be susceptible to flood hazard. The flood risk regionalization and risk management should be carried out urgently by local government according to the temporal and spatial vary characteristics of flood vulnerability, land use model suitable for these characteristics should be constructed timely by residents.