Natural hazard assessment and mapping using remote sensing and QGIS tools for Mumbai city, India

Abstract

Flooding and water logging possess severe hazards to human population in many parts of the world. Mumbai, the study area, is one of the cities in India and has been frequently affected by floods and landslides causing heavy loss of life and property. Enormous concretization and 150-year-old storm water drainage system of Mumbai have led to water logging and flood-like conditions which leads to natural hazard. The objective of this study is to identify the flood and landslide spots and to prepare the map by using GIS software. The study also consists of comparing potential of QGIS and Arc-GIS software in the form of data analysis and thematic map creation. From this study, it is clear that large-scale reshaping took place to complete the reclamation project which makes all those areas prone to various hazards. In assessment of flood and landslide spots, many significant points were revealed: the average elevation of Mumbai is 14 m, and also majority of the flood spots have an elevation range between 5 and 14 m. The analysis of the database generated in QGIS software also revealed that significant numbers of flood spots are mostly found in the reclamation zone and the landslide spots near base of hill. This study indicates that the current situation may trigger disastrous conditions in the future which need intervention from government bodies, institutions and NGOs to prepare proper disaster management plans to help mitigate this situation. To mitigate the problem of water logging, it is required to drain off the water into the ground. Pervious concrete is the best solution for it but for its implementation detailed database of the waterlogged area is required.