Assessment of Flood Risk and Its Mapping in Navsari District, Gujarat

Abstract

Floods can completely devastate a place, destroying everything from buildings and croplands to upsetting the ecological balance and spreading illness. Flood risk is influenced by various factors such as flood frequency, duration, intensity and vulnerability of the population. Risk is defined as the potential effects of a hazardous incident on the community's residents, services, facilities, buildings and assets. Thus, the risk is the possibility of loss, which generally depends on hazard and vulnerability. The objective of the research is to analyse the flood risk areas of the Navsari district. The rainfall data from the years 1971 to 2021 are used to calculate the flood hazard, and a household survey is also conducted to know the susceptibility of the people in the study area using fifteen indicators. Depending on the above data, sub-district-wise flood risk zone map of the Navsari district is prepared. From the results of the study, it is observed that 25% of district (Vansda) falls in the high-risk-prone area, 50% of districts (Chikhli and Navsari) falls in the medium-risk-prone area and 25% of district (Gandevi) falls in the low-risk-prone area. The result of the study can help in developing a strong disaster management strategy to deal with floods and reduce the likelihood of damage, loss or death.