GIS APPLICATION FOR FLOOD RISK ESTIMATION IN THE INDUS RIVER BASIN

Abstract

Pakistan experiences major floods almost every year that cause loss of lives, infrastructure, crops and livestock. The losses due to floods cost billions of rupees. The changing climate has added to the severity and destruction due to floods. A temporal and spatial shift in the monsoon patterns; makes it harder to predict floods. Hazard preparedness is direly needed to handle the flood crisis. Owing to resource limitations and faulty short term policies and plans, the flood damages cripple the national economy, almost every year. There is a great need for the presence of a flood observatory for Pakistan This study uses hydrological modelling, integrated with Geographical Information System (GIS), to provide a web based infrastructure, which contributes a major component towards the development of a flood observatory, and a reliable flood risk estimation application for Pakistan. It visualizes results of multiple hydrological models for different sub-basins within the Indus River Basin, and also provides the user with various hydrological parameters, most importantly, rainfall, river discharge, PET and soil moisture. Additionally prototypes of sensors to measure and monitor river depth and meteorological parameters have also been developed. They relay and visualize live data readings from the ground. As a standalone, a network of such sensors can act as an early warning system for developing flood situations, by constantly monitoring water level in the rivers of the Indus Basin. This web application can be used in flood disaster and water resource management operations. It can serve as a decision support system for relevant flood mitigation agencies of Pakistan.