Contribution of Earth Observation Data Supplied by the New Satellite Sensors to Flood Disaster Assessment and Hazard Reduction

Sustainable floodplain management for flood prevention and water quality improvement

“…During the assessment and analysis of flood risk, it is important to remember that floods are part of the natural hydrological cycle. The predictability of floods depends on the catchment characteristics, and while some floods, such as snow-dominated or highly regulated ones, can be highly predictable, others can sometimes be random and unpredictable (Stancalie et al 2006). During the past 20 years, catastrophic flood events both in Europe (Vistula River, Oder River, Danube River, 2010; Danube River in Romania, 2006;Danube River and Elbe River, 2002;Vistula River and Odra River in Czech Republic, Poland Germany, 1997;Rhine River, 1995), the USA (Mississippi River, 1993, 2011 and Asia (Yangtze, Yellow and Songhua Rivers in China, 2010) and Australia (State of Queensland, 2011) have shown that human activities and traditional river engineering works may result in an increased frequency of floods and, most importantly, in negative economic consequences, such as loss of property, destruction of livelihood and loss of human life (Fendler 2008;Ganoulis 2008).…”

“…• Aid for the immediate needs and reconstruction of damaged buildings, infrastructure and flood defence, and recovery of economic activities in flooded areas; • Review of the flood management activities to improve the process and planning for future events in the area affected (Stancalie et al 2006). …”

“…The following info-layers are important components of any integrated GIS database: sub-catchment and catchment limits, a digital terrain model (DTM), the hydrographic network, the dyke and canal network, the hydrometric station network, the meteorological station network, the rain-gauging network, the transport infrastructure network (roads, railways, airports), localities, land cover and land use updated from a satellite and previous flood extents (Stancalie et al 2006). Flood surveying, optical and radar can provide up to date geographical information.…”

“…The image enables the description of the land cover of the studied area under normal hydrological conditions and during flooding. Calibrated images provide information on inundated zones, flood map extent, flood evolution and the period after flooding: the satellite image indicates the flood's effects, showing the affected areas, flood deposits and debris (Stancalie et al 2006). …”

“…Multi-temporal image analysis combined with land use and land cover information allow the identification of areas covered by water (e.g. permanent water bodies) and then flooded areas (Stancalie et al 2006).…”