Advances and Challenges in Flash Flood Risk Assessment: A Review

Abstract

Flash floods are considered to be one the worst kind of hazard. They are characterized by their suddenness, rarity, small scale, heavy rain and peak discharge, unpredictable, fast and violent movement. It has severe effects on human society in the form life losses, damages to property, roads, communication and on natural settings. Advances in hydrology, meteorology, engineering, using of GIS and remote sensing still not able to increase real time forecast. Researchers from developed countries have stressed to more focus to improve very short time an effective early warning system with collaboration of local communities for flash flood risk supervision. The valid inputs from natural and social science can play a vital role in risk reduction. In the flood hazard risk assessment, the analysis of various morphometric parameters of river basins is very essential. Community based participatory flood hazard mapping provides an essential detail, such as inundation areas, depth information, evacuation centers and routes, critical facilities, communication channels, evacuation criteria, emergency kits and many other items needs for an evacuation in hazard maps. Vulnerability is based on numerous components such as internal (assesses coping capacity of people or systems) and external (exposure of people) side of vulnerability. Risk assessment consists of two main components such as hazard (related to source and pathways) and vulnerability (related to the receptor and consequences). Flood disaster-related risk has increasingly become a global concern, and its vulnerabilities related to changes in demography, socioeconomic conditions, unplanned settlements, environmental degradation, stress on natural resources and climate change.