Abstract
Flood mitigation is necessary to protect urban population especially in Asian countries. Particularly in India, evidence-based research for the implementation of flood mitigation measures is quintessential. This paper investigates flood mitigation measures for Chennai, an urban area in southern India using the Hydrologic Engineering Centre-Hydrological Modelling System (HEC-HMS) model. Interactive supervised classification of Landsat imagery for land use/land cover (LULC) mapping and Thiessen polygon-based rainfall are used in the HEC-HMS model. The results show that increasing the capacity of tanks by 20% and incorporation of Soil Conservation (SC) measures leads to 3.34% and 4.91% reduction in peak discharge, respectively. Hence, evidence is less to suggest that increasing the capacity of tanks by 20% will have significant effect to mitigate the 2015 flood. Construction of Orathur reservoir, with an initial volume of 18.42 Mm3 before the flood event, leads to a reduction in peak by 7.52%. The creation of flood channel alone attenuates 14.79%, and combination of construction of reservoir along with SC measures in the upstream watersheds leads to an attenuation of 12.12%. Although the natural flood management practices may not lead to significant attenuation in the case of extreme events, the combination of SC measures and construction of Orathur reservoir and flood channel produce a maximum decrease in peak by 26.86%. This investigation of multiple flood mitigation measures reveals that the mitigation of extreme events like 2015 would be hydrologically possible, although limited in capability, and it would be better helped if proper floodplain management policies are in place in urban areas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A Al-Weshah R, El-Khoury F (1999) Flood analysis and mitigation for Petra area in Jordan. J Water Resour Plan Manag 125:170–177
Abbas A, Amjath-Babu TS, Kächele H, Usman M, Müller K (2016) An overview of flood mitigation strategy and research support in South Asia: implications for sustainable flood risk management. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol 23:98–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2015.1111954
Anandharuban P, La Rocca M, Elango L (2019) A box-model approach for reservoir operation during extreme rainfall events: a case study. J Earth Syst Sci 128:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-019-1258-7
Andjelkovic I (2001) Guidelines on non-structural measures in urban flood management. International Hydrological Programme (IHP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Bost RC, Bedient PB, Rowe PG (1980) Effect of urbanization on alternative flood control strategies. JAWRA J Am Water Resour Assoc 16:710–716. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1980.tb02453.x
Building Material Technology Promotion Council (2019) Vulnerability Atlas of India
Elnazer AA, Salman SA, Asmoay AS (2017) Flash flood hazard affected Ras Gharib city, Red Sea, Egypt: a proposed flash flood channel. Nat Hazards 89:1389–1400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3030-0
Fang Z, Zimmer A, Bedient PB, Robinson H, Christian J, Vieux BE (2010) Using a distributed hydrologic model to evaluate the location of urban development and flood control storage. J Water Resour Plan Manag 136:597–601. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000066
Ghanbarpour MR, Salimi S, Hipel KW (2013) A comparative evaluation of flood mitigation alternatives using GIS-based river hydraulics modelling and multicriteria decision analysis. J Flood Risk Manag 6:319–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12017
Gill MA (1978) Flood routing by the Muskingum method. J Hydrol 36:353–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(78)90153-1
Grimaldi S, Petroselli A, Tauro F, Porfiri M (2012) Time of concentration: a paradox in modern hydrology. Hydrol Sci J 57:217–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2011.644244
Gul GO, Harmancioglu N, Gul A (2010) A combined hydrologic and hydraulic modeling approach for testing efficiency of structural flood control measures. Nat Hazards 54:245–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-009-9464-2
Gunnell K, Mulligan M, Francis RA, Hole DG (2019) Evaluating natural infrastructure for flood management within the watersheds of selected global cities. Sci Total Environ 670:411–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.212
Huong HTL, Pathirana A (2013) Urbanization and climate change impacts on future urban flooding in Can Tho city, Vietnam. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 17:379–394. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-379-2013
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) (2019) Global report on Internal Displacement. Norwegian Refugee Council. https://www.internal-displacement.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/2019-IDMC-GRID.pdf
Jaffe DA, Sanders BF (2001) Engineered levee breaches for flood mitigation. J Hydraul Eng 127:471–479
Johnstone D, Cross WP (1949) Elements of applied hydrology. Ronald Press, New York
Jonkman SN (2005) Global perspectives on loss of human life caused by floods. Nat Hazards 34:151–175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-004-8891-3
Josephine VS, Mudgal BV, Thampi SB (2014) Applicability of Doppler weather radar based rainfall data for runoff estimation in Indian watersheds - a case study of Chennai basin. Sadhana - Acad Proc Eng Sci 39:989–997. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-014-0258-1
Kaboosi K, Jelini R (2017) The efficiency of detention reservoirs for flood control on the Jafar Abad River in Golestan province (Iran). Russ Meteorol Hydrol 42:129–134. https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068373917020078
Kim H-J, Bae D-W, Yoon K-S (2011) Experimental study for analysis of flood mitigation effect by detention basin. J Korean Soc Hazard Mitig 11:281–291. https://doi.org/10.9798/kosham.2011.11.6.281
Kumar P, Tiwart KN, Pal DK (1991) Establishing SCS runoff curve number from IRS digital data base. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 19:245–252. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03023971
Mah DYS, Lai SH, Aldrino R, Putuhena FJ (2012) Investigative modelling of the flood bypass channel in Kuching, Sarawak, by assessing its impact on the inundations of Kuching-Batu Kawa-Bau Expressway. Struct Infrastruct Eng 8:705–714. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732471003770167
Mays LW (2010) Water resources engineering. John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey
Mirza MMQ (2011) Climate change, flooding in South Asia and implications. Reg Environ Chang 11:95–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-010-0184-7
Mostafazadeh R, Sadoddin A, Bahremand A, Sheikh VB, Garizi AZ (2017) Scenario analysis of flood control structures using a multi-criteria decision-making technique in Northeast Iran. Nat Hazards 87:1827–1846. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2851-1
Muzzamil S, Shah H, Mustaffa Z et al (2020) A review of the flood hazard and risk management in the South Asian Region, particularly Pakistan. Sci Afr 10:e00651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00651
Narasimhan B, Bhallamudi SM, Mondal A, Ghosh S, Mujumdar P (2016) Chennai floods 2015: a rapid assessment. Interdiscip. Cent. Water Res. IISc. Bangalore. http://www.icwar.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Chennai-Floods-Rapid-Assessment-Report.pdf
Nash JE, Sutcliffle JV (1970) River flow forecasting through conceptual models. Part 1. A discussion of principles. J Hydrol 10:282–290
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)-Indian Space Reseach Organization (ISRO) (2015) Hydrological simulation study of flood disaster in Adyar and Cooum Rivers, Tamilnadu, pp 1–8. https://bhuvanapp1.nrsc.gov.in/disaster/usrtasks/flood/doc/Adayar%20&Cooum%20Rivers.pdf
Nithila Devi N, Sridharan B, Kuiry SN (2019) Impact of urban sprawl on future flooding in Chennai city, India. J Hydrol 574:486–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.041
Pathak S, Liu M, Jato-Espino D, Zevenbergen C (2020) Social, economic and environmental assessment of urban sub-catchment flood risks using a multi-criteria approach: a case study in Mumbai City, India. J Hydrol 591:125216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125216
Pitzer Jacob AC, Rezende OM, Martins de Sousa M et al (2019) Use of detention basin for flood mitigation and urban requalification in Mesquita, Brazil. Water Sci Technol 79:2135–2144. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2019.212
Ponce VM, Hawkins RH (1997) Runoff curve number: has it reached maturity? J Hydrol Eng 2:145–148. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0699(1997)2:3(145)
Radojevic B, Breil P, Chocat B (2013) Are periurban areas key places to mitigate urban inundations? J Flood Risk Manag 6:124–134. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-318X.2012.01166.x
Ramachandran A, Palanivelu K, Mudgal BV, Jeganathan A, Guganesh S, Abinaya B, Elangovan A (2019) Climate change impact on fluvial flooding in the Indian sub-basin: a case study on the Adyar sub-basin. PLoS One 14:1–24. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216461
Ravazzani G, Gianoli P, Meucci S, Mancini M (2014) Assessing downstream impacts of detention basins in urbanized river basins using a distributed hydrological model. Water Resour Manag 28:1033–1044. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0532-3
Ray K, Pandey P, Pandey C et al (2019) On the recent floods in India. Curr Sci 117:204–218. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v117/i2/204-218
Roxy MK, Ghosh S, Pathak A, Athulya R, Mujumdar M, Murtugudde R, Terray P, Rajeevan M (2017) A threefold rise in widespread extreme rain events over central India. Nat Commun 8:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00744-9
Sahoo SN, Pekkat S (2018) Detention ponds for managing flood risk due to increased imperviousness: case study in an urbanizing catchment of India. Nat Hazards Rev 19:05017008. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)nh.1527-6996.0000271
Sarmah T, Das S (2018) Urban flood mitigation planning for Guwahati: a case of Bharalu basin. J Environ Manag 206:1155–1165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.10.079
Shankar CP, Shanmugam M, Pradeep C, Thirumalaivasan D (2018) Flood modeling for a part of Adyar river basin using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS for the December 2015 floods. Ecol Environ Conserv 24:S260–S263
Singh O, Kumar M (2013) Flood events, fatalities and damages in India from 1978 to 2006. Nat Hazards 69:1815–1834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0781-0
Sudheer KP, Murty Bhallamudi S, Narasimhan B et al (2019) Role of dams on the floods of August 2018 in Periyar River Basin, Kerala. Curr Sci 116:780–794. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v116/i5/780-794
Thampapillai DJ, Musgrave WF (1985) Flood damage mitigation: a review of structural and nonstructural measures and alternative decision frameworks. Water Resour Res 21:411–424. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR021i004p00411
Thiessen AH (1911) Precipitation averages for large areas. Mon Weather Rev 39:1082–1089
US Army Corps of Engineers HEC (2000) Hydrologic modeling system HEC-HMS: technical reference manual
USDA (1986) Urban hydrology for small watersheds. Tech Release 55:2–6
Vanova V, Langhammer J (2011) Modelling the impact of land cover changes on flood mitigation in the upper lužnice basin. J Hydrol Hydromech 59:262–274. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10098-011-0022-8
Vemula S, Raju KS, Veena SS, Kumar AS (2019) Urban floods in Hyderabad, India, under present and future rainfall scenarios: a case study. Nat Hazards 95:637–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-018-3511-9
Vorogushyn S, Lindenschmidt KE, Kreibich H, Apel H, Merz B (2012) Analysis of a detention basin impact on dike failure probabilities and flood risk for a channel-dike-floodplain system along the river Elbe, Germany. J Hydrol 436–437:120–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.03.006
Wake B (2013) Flooding costs. Nat Clim Chang 3:778. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1997
Wilkinson ME, Addy S, Quinn PF, Stutter M (2019) Natural flood management: small-scale progress and larger-scale challenges. Scott Geogr J 135:23–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702541.2019.1610571
World Metrological Organization (2009) Integrated flood management concept paper
Zhou Q, Leng G, Su J, Ren Y (2019) Comparison of urbanization and climate change impacts on urban flood volumes: importance of urban planning and drainage adaptation. Sci Total Environ 658:24–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.184
Zhu T, Lund JR (2009) Up or out?—Economic-engineering theory of flood levee height. J Water Resour Plan Manag 135:13–22. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(2009)135
Zope PE, Eldho TI, Jothiprakash V (2017) Hydrological impacts of land use–land cover change and detention basins on urban flood hazard: a case study of Poisar River basin, Mumbai, India. Nat Hazards 87:1267–1283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2816-4
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Venkatramanan Senapathi
This article is part of the Topical Collection on Recent advanced techniques in water resources management
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Duraisekaran, E., Mohanraj, T., Samuel, J.S.K. et al. Investigation of multiple flood mitigation strategies for an urban catchment using semi-distributed hydrological modelling. Arab J Geosci 14, 1423 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07619-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07619-w