ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Flood Risk Assessment Using GIS
(Case Study: Golestan Province, Iran)
Mahsa Safaripour1, Masoud Monavari1, Mehdi Zare2,
Zahra Abedi1, Alireza Gharagozlou3
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1Department of Environment, Graduate School of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch,
Islamic Azad University, P.O.Box: 14155/4933, Tehran, Iran
2Engineering Seismology, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IEES), Tehran, Iran
3Geomatics College of National Cartographic Center of Iran, P.O.Box: 13185-1684, Tehran, Iran
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2012;21(6):1817-1824
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
In recent years humans have endured increasing numbers of natural disasters, of which flooding is the
greatest and most common throughout the world. Iran is also exposed to floods, considering the severe damage
recently incurred in Golestan province, particularly Gorganroud watershed. Due to the importance of the
subject and lack of comprehensive studies on flood risk in the country's watersheds, it is crucial to perform
flood risk assessment using appropriate tools, such as Landsat ETM+ imaging and digital elevation model data
collections in geographic information system throughout the region. For this purpose, database maps of 6 subwatersheds
in Gorganroud watershed were prepared in 5 layers affecting flooding in the region. By overlaying
and weighing three layers in GIS software, a layer of flood hazard intensity was obtained. Next, by means
of obtained numbers and scoring, the overuse layer priorities were determined. Then, these two flooding layers
were overlaid with the help of a two-dimensional matrix, and the final map of flood risk was obtained.
Finally, it was found that Chelichay and Sarab Gorganroud, making up to 24.59% of the Gorganroud watershed,
are the most risky sub-watersheds. In light of the fact that the data pertaining to Gorganroud watershed
have never been entirely used to sort out the risk priorities in the region, the new method presented in this paper
can lead to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding about what is really taking place in it.