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

Abstract

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.