Evaluation and Mitigation of Flash Flood Risks in Arid Regions: A Case Study of Wadi Sudr in Egypt

Abstract

Flash floods threaten the lives of people and properties in different regions around the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions due to infrequent flood events. The current study aims to assess the geomorphological parameters of Wadi Sudr, South Sinai in Egypt to evaluate flash flood risks and provide adequate mitigation methods. This study presents an integrated method that combines geographic information system (GIS) and watershed modeling system (WMS) with HEC-HMS to visualize and assess flood events in the study area. Different morphologic parameters of the watershed were determined, including linear, areal, and relief parameters. GIS was used to analyze the satellite images and determine the characteristics of the valley to get the extension and number of stream orders in the valley, then WMS was used to estimate rainstorms and basin characteristics, as well as estimate the amount of rain that causes flooding. HEC-HMS program was used for hydrological demonstration and precipitation overflow estimation. The morphometric analysis provided a quantitative portrayal of the Wadi Sudr watershed. Wadi Sudr has 4029 streams connected with seventh order of streams spread over an area of 547.45 km2. Based on the results of morphologic and hydraulic parameters of the watershed, two locations of protection dams were suggested. A comparison between the two locations was made to select the best location based on some criteria, including storage capacity, water depth behind the dam, width and shape of the valley, and the area covered by water stored in the reservoir. The comparison between the two locations showed that the first location is more appropriate for dam construction based on the examined criteria. The valley shape in the first location is more regular than in the second. The first location provided higher storage capacity and water depth in front of the dam than the second. The area covered by water and the width of the valley is less than the second. The stability of the dam at the first site could be higher and the cost of construction could cost be less than the second due to these reasons. A comparison was made using the weighted linear combination (WLC) method, which consists of 13 criteria to determine the suitability index (SI) in order to select the best location from the proposed locations. SI proved that the first location is better than the second. The designed dam in the selected site could be cost-efficient to protect the study area from flood risks and harvesting water that can be used in different purposes. This methodology can be applied in different areas for mitigating flash flood risks.