Simulating flash floods using remote sensing and GIS-based KW-GIUH hydrological model

Abstract

AbstractUnderstanding storm flow generation within arid wadis is challenging because of the absence of reliable long-term field measurements. This paper simulates the flash flood runoff within Wadi Billi, Egypt, using remote sensing and GIS-based KW-GIUH model considering the linkage between the watershed’s geomorphological characteristics and its hydrologic response. A morphometric database of 58 parameters for all aspects has been developed using GIS; then, at the sub-basin level, KW-GIUH model has been used to simulate the hydrological response for the storm event of 9th March 2014. The statistical analysis, using Pearson correlation, classified the morphometric parameters according to their hydrological contribution and showed that only 21 parameters are significant. The results lead to isolating the most effective morphometric parameters, and this could be used to optimize the mathematical equations of the hydrological models to be more realistic in representing the physical processes of flash floods. Defining the morphometric parameters at sub-basin level is essential to predict the damages and to forecast the water flow order, which helps in designing a sustainable stormwater system that can protect the downstream areas and use rainwater instead of discharging it to the ocean.