Open AccessIdeal location for flood shelter: a geographic information system approach
Author(s) -
Sanyal J.,
Lu X.X.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of flood risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.049
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 1753-318X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-318x.2009.01043.x
Subject(s) - flood myth , human settlement , geography , remote sensing , geographic information system , structural basin , environmental resource management , cartography , water resource management , environmental science , geology , archaeology , geomorphology
Spatial information for efficient flood emergency management is very limited in developing countries. This paper combines cartographic and remotely sensed data to identify the rural settlements that are vulnerable to flood in the Ajay River Basin of West Bengal, India. A European Remote Sensing Satellite‐1 synthetic aperture radar flood scene has been acquired over the Ajay River Basin. Several digital image processing techniques including thresholding have been applied to identify the flood‐affected settlements in the area. The principles of optimum location have been extensively applied through a geographic information system to come up with a map showing the ideal location for elevated concrete structures that can serve as flood shelter for vulnerable communities.