Economic damages of rice crop due to flood 2010 and its mitigations in Larkana division using geo-spatial tools

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the crop damages due to flood and to develop flood risk maps in order to mitigate its future damages. For that purpose, field and satellite data was used to assess economic damages of Rice crop, prepare flood risk maps and to delineate possible flow paths for safe disposal of flood runoff in case of any future breach on the right side of the Indus river. For the current study, Landsat data for the years 2009 and 2011 along with ASTER Digital Elevation Model (DEM) were analyzed with ArcGIS 10.3, and ERDAS IMAGINE. The results of the study showed that about 247973.024 tons rice of worth 11.425 billion Pakistani rupees was damaged due to flood 2010 in Larkana Division. Moreover, the created flood risk map showed that most of the area of Larkana and Qamber-Shahdadkot has low elevation. Therefore, the risk of floods to these areas is high, while the Kashmore-Kandhkot district has a comparatively high altitude. Thus, the risk of flood is low in that district. The most prolonged flood flow path delineated from DEM using geospatial tools shows that the flow path starts from the southern part of Kashmore-Kandhkot, and then it enters Shikarpur and eventually disposes-off into Hamal Lake in Qamber-Shahdadkot which could be used for safe disposal in future flood scenarios to moderate the flood damages.