Flood Hazard Mitigation Research Articles

Community's Emergency Preparedness for Flood Hazards in Dire-dawa Town, Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study.

Background:Emergency preparedness at all levels (individuals and communities) is the corner stone of effective response to the increasing trends of global disasters due to man-made and natural hazards. It is determined by different factors, including (among others) past direct and indirect exposures to hazards. This study was carried out in Dire Dawa town, Ethiopia, which in the past experienced frequent flooding events, yet dearth of information exists about preparedness in the area. The aim of the study was to assess the levels of emergency preparedness for flood hazards at households and communities levels.Methods:The study was conducted in a qualitative approach and was conducted in Dire Dawa town, which has been divided into nine administrative-units called Kebeles. Two focus group discussions were held in two of these units (Kebele-05 and 06), each focus group comprising twelve people (all above 18 years of age), and in total 24 people (13 females and 11 males) took part in the study. Open ended questions were used that could guide the discussions, and the discussions were audio-taped and transcribed. The results were translated from local language to English and qualitatively presented.Results:The findings of focus group discussions showed that the local government in collaboration with the federal government built the flood protection dams in areas where flood hazards have been thought to be repeatedly wreaking havoc, specifically after the flood disaster of the year 2006. In addition, in Kebele-05, where one Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) was operating on flood hazards prevention and mitigation program, some non-structural emergency preparedness measures were undertaken by the communities. These non-structural measures (the major ones) entailed: establishment of committees recruited from residents and training them to raise awareness among communities on emergency preparedness; some residents made changes to their own houses (retrofitted) and put sandbags around their houses to temporarily protect the flooding; establishment of communication channels between communities to alarm each other in the event of flood disaster; and reforestation of the already deforested mountainous areas surrounding the town. However, concerns were raised by study participants about strengths of the constructed flood protection dams. Furthermore, the non-structural emergency preparedness measures identified by this study were not comprehensive; for example, residents were not trained in first aid, first aid kits were not provided, there was no linkage being established between communities and health facilities so as to provide emergency medical care to victims in the event of flood disaster. Discussion: The findings of this study concur with some of the previous quantitative studies’ results in that the past direct and indirect disaster experiences invoke preparedness intention and actual preparedness for flood hazards at individuals, communities and organizations levels. The only one quantitative and behavioral based study conducted thus far in Dire Dawa town reported the strong association of past flood disaster experience with household emergency preparedness. Among the residents there was a tendency to rely on the dams to be constructed with “good quality” and “higher strength” than making preparedness efforts on their own at their households. Structural measures such as building of dams, dikes, levees, and channel improvements could be means of mitigation measures; however, solely relying on these measures could have far reaching consequences.Conclusions: To mitigate flood hazards, dams were built and in addition, in Kebele-05 where an NGO was operating, some non-structural emergency preparedness measures were undertaken. In the course of construction of flood protection dams, ensuring communities’ involvement is needed; and at the same time undertaking comprehensive non-structural emergency preparedness measures in all Kebeles is highly recommended.Key words: Emergency, Preparedness, Flood, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.

Effects of multiple dams on the metacommunity structure of stream macroinvertebrates

Dams and floodgates have been established to mitigate flood hazards and to satisfy the growing demand for water resources; however, the excessive presence of dams in river ecosystems causes a series of ecological problems. Most previous studies regarding the effects of dams on aquatic community structure have focused on the effects of individual dams on river ecosystems on a local scale, whereas few studies have investigated the combined effects of multiple dams at the basin scale. In the present study we explored the combined effects of multiple dams on macroinvertebrate metacommunity structure and quantified these effects using variation partitioning and asymmetric eigenvector map analysis. We found that the combined effects of multiple dams on macroinvertebrate metacommunity structure are significant, and that the direct effects of dams that limit dispersal were greater than the indirect effects of changing environmental conditions. We also found that spatial variables at medium and fine scales captured more variation in macroinvertebrate metacommunity structure than broad-scale partitioning. Because broad-scale spatial variations are primarily attributed to environmental spatial structuring, and medium- and fine-scale spatial community structures are likely related to neutral processes, it was inferred that the direct effects of dams were greater than the indirect effects.

Hydrological modeling of storm runoff and snowmelt in Taunton River Basin by applications of HEC-HMS and PRMS models

Reliable predictions of storm runoff from rainfall and snowmelt are important for flood hazard mitigation and resilience. In this study, the HEC-HMS and PRMS hydrological models have been applied to simulate storm runoff in Taunton River Basin for the storm event in 2010 when maximum rainfall intensity reached approximate 5 in/day in March, and the snowfall reached about 11 inches in December. Model parameters were calibrated, and model performance was evaluated by comparing model-simulated daily stream flow with observations. For the rainstorm period during March–April, results indicate that both HEC-HMS and PRMS provide very good predictions of rainfall runoff with the correlation values above 0.95, and PRMS produces lower root-mean-square errors than those from HEC-HMS. Over the 12-month period including the snowfall in December, the time series of flow by PRMS match better with observations than those from the HEC-HMS. The 12-month overall correlation values for HEC-HMS and PRMS are 0.91 and 0.97 at Bridgewater Station, and 0.89 and 0.97 at Threemile Station, respectively. For an extreme storm scenario of the maximum historical 36.7-inch snowfall in early February in combination with the rainstorm in March–April of 2010, model simulations indicate that the flow would substantially increase by about 50% or more. Comparisons between HEC-HMS and RPMS models have been analyzed to provide references for storm runoff modeling.

Characteristic analysis of rainstorm-induced catastrophe and the countermeasures of flood hazard mitigation about Shenzhen city

ABSTRACTBased on the statistical data of rainstorm-induced catastrophe about Shenzhen city during 1980–2014, this paper constructs a calculation model of disaster magnitude, which includes three influence factors: death toll, direct economic loss and disaster affected population. At the same time, the relationship between the disaster magnitude and the temporal, spatial and cause of the rainstorm-induced catastrophe about Shenzhen city is analysed, The results show that (1) The classification of catastrophe risk is carried out by the result of the disaster magnitude model. (2) The region where the disaster occurs frequently and seriously is located in the Midwest, and the disaster occurs infrequently and lightly is located in the south-east. (3) The rainstorm-induced catastrophe about Shenzhen City is mostly caused by persistent short-time heavy rainfall. While it occurs most frequently in July, and the most serious in September affected by the typhoon. (4) The main reasons for the occurrence of rainstorm-induced catastrophe about Shenzhen City are flood, waterlogging, tide and typhoon, of these factors waterlogging is the primary one. Finally, this paper puts forward the corresponding countermeasures of flood hazard mitigation in Shenzhen City.

Multi-temporal clustering of continental floods and associated atmospheric circulations

Investigating clustering of floods has important social, economic and ecological implications. This study examines the clustering of Australian floods at different temporal scales and its possible physical mechanisms. Flood series with different severities are obtained by peaks-over-threshold (POT) sampling in four flood thresholds. At intra-annual scale, Cox regression and monthly frequency methods are used to examine whether and when the flood clustering exists, respectively. At inter-annual scale, dispersion indices with four-time variation windows are applied to investigate the inter-annual flood clustering and its variation. Furthermore, the Kernel occurrence rate estimate and bootstrap resampling methods are used to identify flood-rich/flood-poor periods. Finally, seasonal variation of horizontal wind at 850 hPa and vertical wind velocity at 500 hPa are used to investigate the possible mechanisms causing the temporal flood clustering. Our results show that: (1) flood occurrences exhibit clustering at intra-annual scale, which are regulated by climate indices representing the impacts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans; (2) the flood-rich months occur from January to March over northern Australia, and from July to September over southwestern and southeastern Australia; (3) stronger inter-annual clustering takes place across southern Australia than northern Australia; and (4) Australian floods are characterised by regional flood-rich and flood-poor periods, with 1987–1992 identified as the flood-rich period across southern Australia, but the flood-poor period across northern Australia, and 2001–2006 being the flood-poor period across most regions of Australia. The intra-annual and inter-annual clustering and temporal variation of flood occurrences are in accordance with the variation of atmospheric circulation. These results provide relevant information for flood management under the influence of climate variability, and, therefore, are helpful for developing flood hazard mitigation schemes.

Little Ice Age climatic erraticism as an analogue for future enhanced hydroclimatic variability across the American Southwest.

The American Southwest has experienced a series of severe droughts interspersed with strong wet episodes over the past decades, prompting questions about future climate patterns and potential intensification of weather disruptions under warming conditions. Here we show that interannual hydroclimatic variability in this region has displayed a significant level of non-stationarity over the past millennium. Our tree ring-based analysis of past drought indicates that the Little Ice Age (LIA) experienced high interannual hydroclimatic variability, similar to projections for the 21st century. This is contrary to the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), which had reduced variability and therefore may be misleading as an analog for 21st century warming, notwithstanding its warm (and arid) conditions. Given past non-stationarity, and particularly erratic LIA, a ‘warm LIA’ climate scenario for the coming century that combines high precipitation variability (similar to LIA conditions) with warm and dry conditions (similar to MCA conditions) represents a plausible situation that is supported by recent climate simulations. Our comparison of tree ring-based drought analysis and records from the tropical Pacific Ocean suggests that changing variability in El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) explains much of the contrasting variances between the MCA and LIA conditions across the American Southwest. Greater ENSO variability for the 21st century could be induced by a decrease in meridional sea surface temperature gradient caused by increased greenhouse gas concentration, as shown by several recent climate modeling experiments. Overall, these results coupled with the paleo-record suggests that using the erratic LIA conditions as benchmarks for past hydroclimatic variability can be useful for developing future water-resource management and drought and flood hazard mitigation strategies in the Southwest.

Aligning Natural Resource Conservation, Flood Hazard Mitigation, and Social Vulnerability Remediation in Florida

Flooding continues to be the most common and damaging of all natural disasters in the United States. In 2016, twelve individual weather and climate events caused more than $1billion in damages each. During 2016, the U.S. was hit by at least five once-in-1,000 years precipitation events, and severe floods resulted in more than $17 billion in damages. Currently, more than 5.5 million active policies under the National Flood Insurance Program, underwrite more than $1.6 trillion in assets. Since 1978, NFIP has paid out more than $38 billion in claims – nearly 30% was paid to the 1% of properties classified as “repetitive loss properties” (RLPs).

A framework for the case-specific assessment of Green Infrastructure in mitigating urban flood hazards

This research outlines a framework for the case-specific assessment of Green Infrastructure (GI) performance in mitigating flood hazard in small urban catchments. The urban hydrologic modeling tool (MUSIC) is coupled with a fine resolution 2D hydrodynamic model (BreZo) to test to what extent retrofitting an urban watershed with GI, rainwater tanks and infiltration trenches in particular, can propagate flood management benefits downstream and support intuitive flood hazard maps useful for communicating and planning with communities. The hydrologic and hydraulic models are calibrated based on current catchment conditions, then modified to represent alternative GI scenarios including a complete lack of GI versus a full implementation of GI. Flow in the hydrologic/hydraulic models is forced using a range of synthetic rainfall events with annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) between 1–63% and durations from 10 min to 24 h. Flood hazard benefits mapped by the framework include maximum flood depths and extents, flow intensity (m2/s), flood duration, and critical storm duration leading to maximum flood conditions. Application of the system to the Little Stringybark Creek (LSC) catchment shows that across the range of AEPs tested and for storm durations equal or less than 3 h, presently implemented GI reduces downstream flooded area on average by 29%, while a full implementation of GI would reduce downstream flooded area on average by 91%. A full implementation of GI could also lower maximum flow intensities by 83% on average, reducing the drowning hazard posed by urban streams and improving the potential for access by emergency responders. For storm durations longer than 3 h, a full implementation of GI lacks the capacity to retain the resulting rainfall depths and only reduces flooded area by 8% and flow intensity by 5.5%.

Best-Fit Probability Distribution Model for Rainfall Frequency Analysis of Three Cities in South Eastern Nigeria

Rainfall frequency analysis is the estimation of how often rainfall of specified magnitude will occur. Such analyses are helpful in defining policies relating to water resources management. It serves as the source of data for flood hazard mitigation and the design of hydraulic structures aimed at reducing losses due to floods action. In this study rainfall frequency analysis for three (3) cities in South Eastern Nigeria were carried out using annual maximum series of daily rainfall data for the stations. The objective of the study was to select the probability distribution model from among six commonly used probability distribution models namely: Generalized Extreme value distribution (GEV), Extreme value type I distribution (EVI), Generalized Pareto distribution (GPA), Pearson Type III (PIII), log Normal (LN) and Log Pearson Type III (LP111) distributions. These distributions were applied to annual maximum series of daily precipitation data at each station using the parameters of the distributions estimated by the method of moments. The best fit probability distribution model at each location was selected based on the results of seven goodness of fit tests entry: root mean square error (RMSE), relative root mean square error (RRMSE), mean absolute deviation index (MADI) and probability plot correlation coefficient (PPCC), Maximum Absolute Error (MAE), Chi square test and D- Index and a scoring and ranking scheme. Our results indicate that the best fit probability distribution model at all study locations is GEV and this was used to forecast rainfall return values for the stations for return periods of between 5years and 500years. The values obtained are useful for planning, design and management of hydraulic structures for flood mitigation and prevention of flood damage at the location.

Multitemporal Backscattering Logistic Analysis for Intertidal Bathymetry

A new methodology for the mapping of intertidal terrain morphology is presented. It is based on the use of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and the temporal correlation between the SAR backscatter intensity and the water level on the intertidal zone. The proposed methodology does not require manual editing, providing a set of geolocated pixels that can be used to generate a digital elevation model of the intertidal zone. The methodology is validated using TerraSAR-X SAR images acquired over Tagus estuary. This methodology can be useful for the regular updating of intertidal bathymetric models useful for both flood hazard mitigation and morphodynamics modeling.

Response and recovery measures for two floods in north China during the nineteenth century: a comparative study.

BackgroundThe process of human response to natural disasters and its mechanisms as revealed by historical events still has a broad significance for modern society. This study analyzed the disaster relief process and the social response for two floods in China: the Yongding River flood in 1801 and the Yellow River flood in 1841. These two floods reflect the different response processes between the national and provincial capitals during a stage of climate cooling and social transition in the Qing dynasty. ResultsApplying methods of historical documents analysis and qualitatively comparative analysis to the materials such as Relief Chronicles Authorized by the Emperor in XinYou and Flood Description in Bian Liang, it shows that: (1) In 1801, the central government took on a lead position, from flood surveying to relief processes. However, local government and gentries played an important role in 1841. (2) In 1801, the government successfully undertook a series of relief measures addressing production, housing, food prices, taxes, and water conservancy and administration. In 1841, the response measures were relatively simple, focusing mainly on providing shelter and food for victims. (3) The government carried out long-term disaster prevention measures such as dredging channels after the flood in 1801. In 1841, however, the efforts were focused mainly on emergency rescue. (4) Refugees in the 1801 flood were effectively managed by a centralized authority. In 1841, regulation of the flooding was delayed by corruption and conflicts between officers, leading to an expansion of the disaster’s impact. ConclusionsAbove results have led to the conclusion that disaster relief systems and response measures had a significant effect on the consequences of those floods. Various flood relief measures and natural disasters management regimes have implications for contemporary flood hazard mitigation.

Avulsion cycles and their stratigraphic signature on an experimental backwater‐controlled delta

AbstractRiver deltas grow in large part through repeated cycles of lobe construction and channel avulsion. Understanding avulsion cycles is important for coastal restoration and ecology, land management, and flood hazard mitigation. Emerging theories suggest that river avulsions on lowland deltas are controlled by backwater hydrodynamics; however, our knowledge of backwater‐controlled avulsion cycles is limited. Here we present results from an experimental delta that evolved under persistent backwater hydrodynamics achieved through variable flood discharges, shallow bed slopes, and subcritical flows. The experimental avulsion cycles consisted of an initial phase of avulsion setup, an avulsion trigger, selection of a new flow path, and abandonment of the parent channel. Avulsions were triggered during the largest floods (78% of avulsions) after the channel was filled by a fraction (0.3 ± 0.13) of its characteristic flow depth at the avulsion site, which occurred in the upstream part of the backwater zone. The new flow path following avulsion was consistently one of the shortest paths to the shoreline, and channel abandonment occurred through temporal decline in water flow and sediment delivery to the parent channel. Experimental synthetic stratigraphy indicates that bed thicknesses were maximum at the avulsion sites, consistent with our morphologic measurements of avulsion setup and the idea that there is a record of avulsion locations and thresholds in sedimentary rocks. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings within the context of sustainable management of deltas, their stratigraphic record, and predicting avulsions on deltas.

Quantifying the effect on flood regime of land-use pattern changes via hydrological simulation in the upper Huaihe River basin, China

Both landscape and river systems over most regions of the world, within China in particular, have experienced unprecedented changes in the past decades, and their impacts from these changes undoubtedly have altered storm runoff generation characteristics and flood regimes in these areas. To assess the effect on flood regime of land-use pattern changes, the upper Huaihe River basin above the Dapoling station was selected as the case study site. On the basis of the topography, land-use/land cover, hydrological and meteorological data in 1990s and 2000s, quantification of the response to the land-use pattern change of flood characteristics was made by using the semi-distributed Xinanjiang model integrated with a distributed dual-source evapotranspiration model. The results revealed that land-use pattern change had significant impact on runoff depth, runoff coefficient, together with flood peak size, duration and timing. Moreover, land-use pattern change also altered the partitioning of runoff components and rainfall–runoff relationship. The output could provide valuable references for the prediction and mitigation of flood hazards, and also for river ecological health, scientific planning, sustainable development and management of the Huaihe River basin in the future.

Urban design principles for flood resilience: Learning from the ecological wisdom of living with floods in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Despite the widespread implementation of flood control infrastructure, modern cities around the world remain vulnerable to flood hazards. Although flood management has in general placed less emphasis on structural measures, urban flood hazard mitigation continues to fixate on the flood control paradigm, the ideology that flooding must be prevented in the first place, as flooding is assumed to be disastrous. To promote urban flood resilience, this paper argues for the alternative flood adaptation paradigm, which concerns preventing damage when flooding occurs and allows flooding to enter the city. The argument is grounded on our fieldworks on the ecological wisdom of living with floods in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta in two hamlets, Vinh An and Ha Bao, where flooding is mostly harmless and brings benefits. To turn this ecological wisdom of the rural hamlets into practical knowledge, we extract lessons for modern cities: Modern cities need ecological knowledge to nurture ecological wisdom; and need to become agile by developing localized flood-response capacity, striving for timely systemwide adjustment, and turning amphibious. To make these lessons of the ecological wisdom actionable, we translate them into three urban design principles: Urban design should (1) anticipate and accommodate flooding, (2) incorporate the ecological process of flooding, and (3) reveal the flood dynamics to the public.

Perception of Flood Risk and Mitigation: Survey Results from the Eastern Black Sea Basin, Turkey

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate perceptions of flood risk and possible mitigation measures among residents of the Eastern Black Sea Basin, Turkey. A six-item questionnaire was administered to 897 people. The questionnaire comprised three sections soliciting information on previous flood experience, awareness and risk perception, and possible mitigation measures. Responses revealed most people had flood experience and believed their residences were at risk. Respondents expected loss of property and/or life during a potential flood event and thought that some measures could be taken to mitigate flood hazards. The most frequently mentioned measures to mitigate flood hazards were stream improvement, afforestation, prevention of settlement in streambeds, and infrastructure improvement. Many respondents believed the state, the municipality, and citizens were responsible for taking these measures. Significant differences were found between open-ended responses and respondent’s age, gender, and educationa...

A remote-sensing-based vegetative technique for flood hazard mitigation of Jiadhal basin, India

The Jiadhal basin in northeast India suffers from serious soil erosion and landslides. During the monsoon, the eroded soil travels with the flood waters and gets dumped on the fertile agricultural lands downstream. This sandy soil has very little productive value, and the farmers have to wait an average of 6–7 years before they can grow paddy on it. The study uses satellite images and a predictive model ‘E30’ to find out the severity of erosion and the loss of agricultural lands from the period of 2000 to 2014. Findings have shown that for 4 years of analysis, ‘severe’ and ‘very severe’ erosions were taking place from 17 and 5 % of the total basin area. Landcover analysis showed that agricultural lands have been lost during the flood years. Part of these lands have been converted to sand-filled areas. The study proposes the idea that these sand-filled areas can be adequately utilized for growing a grass ‘Chrysopogon zizanioides’ native to India, which can be used for checking the erosion at the first place. In this way, the hazard can be mitigated by identifying erosion-prone areas from the model output and planting the grass. By utilizing only 17.5 % of the total basin area, checking of sand deposition by this method can be possible in a period of 1 year. The method has the potential to be replicated in all the basins in the region suffering a similar problem.

Probabilistic Flood Maps to support decision‐making: Mapping the Value of Information

AbstractFloods are one of the most frequent and disruptive natural hazards that affect man. Annually, significant flood damage is documented worldwide. Flood mapping is a common preimpact flood hazard mitigation measure, for which advanced methods and tools (such as flood inundation models) are used to estimate potential flood extent maps that are used in spatial planning. However, these tools are affected, largely to an unknown degree, by both epistemic and aleatory uncertainty. Over the past few years, advances in uncertainty analysis with respect to flood inundation modeling show that it is appropriate to adopt Probabilistic Flood Maps (PFM) to account for uncertainty. However, the following question arises; how can probabilistic flood hazard information be incorporated into spatial planning? Thus, a consistent framework to incorporate PFMs into the decision‐making is required. In this paper, a novel methodology based on Decision‐Making under Uncertainty theories, in particular Value of Information (VOI) is proposed. Specifically, the methodology entails the use of a PFM to generate a VOI map, which highlights floodplain locations where additional information is valuable with respect to available floodplain management actions and their potential consequences. The methodology is illustrated with a simplified example and also applied to a real case study in the South of France, where a VOI map is analyzed on the basis of historical land use change decisions over a period of 26 years. Results show that uncertain flood hazard information encapsulated in PFMs can aid decision‐making in floodplain planning.

Flood Disaster and Flood Control Measurements in Shanghai

AbstractShanghai is the economic center of China, but is vulnerable to threats from natural hazards. Along with climate change and fast urbanization, flood is the inevitable deterrent to the city’s development. Flood hazard mitigation is considered as a critical work for the city government to ensure safety, maintain sustainable development, and reduce damages and losses. A comprehensive overview of flood management systems and considerations are of great value. So in this paper, the major causes of flooding in Shanghai are investigated and their characteristics are analyzed. Based on the new strategy of flood management aiming at reducing future impacts of flood disaster, the authors’ considerations about the current flood control measurements in Shanghai are demonstrated, especially at the aspects of flood design standard and the potential threats existing in the engineering system and nonengineering system. Though it is clear that Shanghai has made remarkable achievements in flood management, flood man...

Flood hazard mitigation by actions in the hillslopes: does the context change the assessment of efficiency?

For sustainable and integrated flood management, small actions in the hillslopes and non-structural measures appear interesting, either to diminish the need for large flood mitigation infrastructures (whether sewerage networks or hydraulic structures in the river - which may have severe impact on the river ecosystems), or as complementary to these structures. However, the effect on flood mitigation of land-use modification and small storage or runoff control facilities is still debated in scientific literature. The effect of various structures spread over the catchment is difficult to assess, and hazardous to generalize from one studied catchment to another, which explains why the debate is still open. This study contributes to identify context features that could also explain constrasting results. Focusing on a West-Mediterranean Northern and Southern countries literature, we compare first traditionnal and modern hillslope actions against runoff in both countries. Then, we search in the physical contexts differences that might explain why actions in the hillslopes are more studied in Europe than in Maghreb. But the priorities of national or regional policies also explain differences in the perception of efficiency: the interest of hillslope actions is different if the aim is to limit erosion and pollutant transfer and/or to mitigate large floods. Pollution and how ecological status is taken into account in flood mitigation project assessment are also crucial points.

Towards Sustainable Land Uses within the Elbe River Biosphere Reserve in Lower Saxony, Germany by Means of TerraSAR-X Images

Floods are one of the major hazards worldwide. They are the source of huge risks in rural and urban areas, resulting in severe impacts on the civil society, industry and the economy. The Elbe River has suffered from many severe floods during recent decades. In this study, the zones flooded during 2011 were analyzed using TerraSAR-X images and a digital elevation model for the area in order to identify possible ways to mitigate flood hazards in the future, regarding sustainable land-use. Two study areas are investigated, around the Walmsburg oxbow and the Wehningen oxbow. These are located between Elbe-Kilometer (505-520) and (533-543), respectively, within the Lower Saxonian Elbe River Biosphere Reserve. Those areas are characterized by several types of land use, with agricultural land use being predominant. The study investigated the possibility of using a Decision-Tree object-based classifier for determining the major land uses and the extent of the inundation areas. The inundation areas identify for 2011 submerged some agricultural fields that must be added to existing flood risk maps, and future cultivation activities there prevented to avoid the possible economic losses. Furthermore, part of the residential area is located within the high flood zone, and must be included in risk maps to avoid the possible human and economic losses, to achieve sustainable land use for the areas studied.