Flooding Hazard Assessment of Built-Up Lands Using Modern Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

Introduction. The construction and operation of buildings and structures on the banks of rivers and other water reservoirs with rapidly changing water level are associated with the hazard of territories flooding and underflooding, which can lead to major material damage and even endanger the life and health of people. It’s very important to make a reliable forecast of floodable and underfloodable zones and to develop possible engineering protection measures for such territories, as well as evacuation or rescue plans for cases of emergency. In this article by the example of 2 allocated for construction potentially flooded plots in the Tuapse district of the Krasnodar region, the quantitative flooding hazard assessment is carried out based on the use of the geographic information system QGIS.Materials and methods. In the study there were used: the analysis of existing methods for assessing underflooding and flooding of territories; the long-term observation materials of the water level in rivers and of the largest floods on the studied plots; the analysis of methods of engineering protection of territories from underflooding and flooding; the hydrogeological and hydrological processes modeling using the modern geo information system QGIS; the development of recommendations for engineering protection of the built-up lands and for design of buildings’ and structures’ bases and foundations.Results. As a result of modeling of the underflooding and flooding processes of 2 plots of the prospective built-up lands of the Tuapse district of Krasnodar region in the geo information system QGIS, the boundaries of potential flooding zones and varying probability water rise levels have been identified. Graphical results of modeling in the QGIS system have been presented and graphs of flooding and underflooding levels have been plotted in given sections and along plot’s outline.Discussion and Conclusions. The boundaries of the most hazardous built-up lands have been identified and the engineering protection measures have been reasoned for them. Recommendations have been developed on design and construction of buildings and structures on the plots taking into account the forecasted hazards of underflooding and flooding.