Title: The impact of catchment management on emergency management of flash-flood

Authors: M.E. Banihabib; A. Arabi

Addresses: Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, University College of Abureyhan, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 3391653755, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, University College of Abureyhan, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 3391653755, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Flash floods cause damages and need emergency actions especially in urban areas. Flood forecasting and flood warning systems (FFFWSs) can be used for reducing flood damages and saving lives in areas vulnerable to flooding. However, researches are needed to evaluate the effect of urbanisation and the significance of implementing catchment-management plan (ICMP) on FFFWS. This paper describes a framework proposed to assess the impact of ICMP on expected lead time (ELT) of flash-flood warning and it was applied for an urbanised steep catchment in an arid region, north of metropolitan city, Tehran, Iran. The model is well calibrated and validated before and after ICMP by four observed floods. The results show that ICMP reduces mainly flood risk only in low-return periods (about 30%) than in high-return periods. Finally, this paper demonstrated the efficiency of ICMP in increasing emergency time for evacuation from possible inundated areas except in extreme floods events.

Keywords: flood warning systems; FWSs; expected lead time; ELT; flash floods; catchment management; emergency management; Tajrish Catchment; HEC-HMS model; flood control; flooding; disaster management; Iran; flood forecasting; urban areas; cities; flood risk; risk assessment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2016.076618

International Journal of Emergency Management, 2016 Vol.12 No.2, pp.185 - 195

Accepted: 17 Nov 2015
Published online: 17 May 2016 *

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