Spatial Variability of Flood Hazard Risks in the Balasore Coastal Block, Odisha, India

Nilay Kanti Barman

doi:10.4172/2167-0587.1000120

Abstract

This paper pays attention on measuring and assessing the coastal flood hazard risk through quantification of flood intensity and impacts across the different Gram Panchayats (GPs) in Balasore block, Odisha, India. With respect to the June, 2008 flood event, enormity of flooding has been calculated for each GP using normalised values of measurable parameters relating flood characteristics. Thus, a Flood Magnitude Rank (FMR) has been assigned to each of the GPs according to degree of flooding severity. Similarly, Flood Impact Rank (FIR) for each GP has been derived from damage database. The product of FMR and FIR gives Flood Severity Score (FSS) of a GP which when multiplied by probability of flood event occurrence yields Flood Hazard Score (FHS) for the GP. The analysis helps dividing the study area into five flood risk zones viz. a) Very Low (FHS Below 2.0653); b) Low (FHS 2.0653 – 3.2755); c) Moderate (FHS 3.2755 – 4.4857); d) High (FHS 4.4857 – 5.6959) and e) Very high (FHS Above 5.6959), respectively. Joydebkasba, Parikhi, Bahabalpur, Sartha, Srikona falls in very high flood hazard risk class while, Patrapada, Sindhia, Rasalpur 2 tend to have very low risk from flood hazards. The rest 19 GPs along with the Balasore town of the area under study come under different risk classes in between the above two extreme classes according to their flood hazard scores.

Highlights

The coastal areas are exposed to variety of hazards as these are the zones of interaction between marine and terrestrial systems and hazardous processes that originate from both land and sea of coastal areas
In the context of growing importance of the coastal zones because of high productivity of the ecosystem, increasing concentration of population, industrial development, more intensive resource exploitation, expanding recreational activities etc. – concern about coastal hazards has increased and there is a need for effective coastal management to reduce these impacts of disaster events
During the last few decades, a plethora of literatures on coastal risk assessment methods have been produced consequent upon the recognition of global climate change and resultant sea level rise to put the coastal habitats and coastal communities into real threats [1,2]

Summary

Introduction

The coastal areas are exposed to variety of hazards as these are the zones of interaction between marine and terrestrial systems and hazardous processes that originate from both land and sea of coastal areas. IPCC’s coastal zone management sub group (CZMS) developed a common methodology (CM) that involves seven steps which was employed to assess vulnerability of various coastal nations to predicted sea level rise (IPCC–CZMS, 1992). This method considered probable impacts of global sea level rise on population, economic sector, ethnicity, and social assets and on agricultural productions. The four stages were physical and biological environment study of the area under consideration; vulnerable and cultural system; links between different parts of the area and formulation of management strategy This method was criticized by Harvey et al [5], on the ground that physical, biological environment of the study area was poorly defined and man induced coastal hazards were not properly considered. J Geogr Nat Disast 4: 120. doi:10.4172/2167-0587.1000120 Page 2 of 7

Study Area

Data Base and Methods

Results and Discussion

High Very high