Hydrometeorological disaster risk assessment in upper Gori–Ramganga catchment, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

The current study envisages the hydrometeorological disasters risk assessment using meteorological and remote sensing data combined with geomorphological and geological information. Landslide susceptibility was analyzed by maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) using 11 conditioning factors. Potentially dangerous lakes for glacial lake outburst flood were identified based on volume, lake type, slope and distance from mother glacier. Rainfall induced flash flood conditioning factors were classified and ranked using weighted overlay approach to get flash flood risk map. About 237 km2 is highly vulnerable to the rainfall induced flash floods, whereas, 259.36 km2 was found high to moderately susceptible to landslides. Most of the settlement areas along the river banks, in and around geological faults are found in high risk zone. The residents of the catchment need to be cautious and appropriate logistic arrangements should be made before rainy season to reduce the fatality and infrastructure damage.