Flood Risk Assessment of the Middle Reach of the Helmand River, Afghanistan

Abstract

The middle reach of the Helmand River is prone to floods, and flood hazard analysis is necessary to manage the flood risk. As the study site is a less-developed basin where available geographical and hydrological data are limited, we must utilize available limited data to conduct the flood hazard analysis. A frequency analysis of the annual peak flow rate was performed using available hydrological data for making representative flood hydrographs. A land-use map is derived by classifying recent Landsat images. Digital elevation model derived by Advanced Land Observing Satellite, roughness coefficient correlated with the land-use map, and the representative flood hydrographs are fed into hydraulic model HEC-RAS 2D. Flood inundation area, depth, and velocity for different flood return periods are estimated. Based on local hazard intensity and vulnerability, risk maps for evacuation and vulnerability of crops on the floodplain are obtained. Spatial flood risk characteristics differ at the upstream and downstream reaches because of distinct floodplain topography. Flood countermeasures for each reach are proposed based on the spatial characteristics of the flood risk. To provide risk information for residents within the region, the flood hazard, risk, and damage maps derived in this study are published as a web map application and a mobile native application.