Geo-environmental GIS modeling to predict flood hazard in heavy rainfall eastern Himalaya region: a precautionary measure towards disaster risk reduction

Abstract

The Eastern Himalaya region is highly susceptible to flood and other hydrological hazards due to frizzle geophysical setup, reshaping geomorphology, and heavy annual rainfall (1600–3200 mm). Despite that, anthropogenic activities have been enhancing this susceptibility which increases the intensity and impact of floods in terms of economic loss, human loss, and environmental degradation. Addressing this environmental problem, a geospatial technology-based case study of the Kohima district, Nagaland state (India), a part of the eastern Himalaya is presented here. Various experiential models are available for computing flood hazards; however, the geospatial technique-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was applied in this study due to its robustness and high accuracy level. AHP integrates reclassified GIS layers of hazard-triggering factors and sub-factors by assigning relative weights 1–9 based on their corresponding impacts on flood occurrence. Overlay operation of reclassified GIS layer (causative factors and sub-factors) in ArcMap 10.8 software generated flood spatial variability map which shows four zones, namely low, moderate, high, and very high hazard zones, covers 23%, 35%, 28%, and 14% proportion of total area (978.96 km²), respectively. The study poses a serious concern for the study area as most of the densely populated urban centers fall into moderate to very high flood hazard zones including the state capital city Kohima. So, to avert a worse flood disaster, a flood hazard zone study is the need of the hour. The present study can be used as a decision support system (DSS) for flood disaster risk reduction, infrastructural development, and land use planning in Kohima district.