Improving Practice of Flood Shelter Implementation in Alluvial River Floodplain With Hydro-Morphological Analysis

Abstract

Flood shelter is widely used as a flood-proofing measure in floodplain areas. However, the practice of flood shelter implementation lacks proper planning, design, and construction. This study was undertaken to identify such gaps and bridge them through a case study and pilot of selected shelters in Bangladesh. An interdisciplinary approach comprising both quantitative hydrologic-hydraulic analysis and qualitative participatory social appraisal was followed in the study. The findings revealed that design flood levels were under-estimated, macro-stability of shelter sites were not assessed, and water velocity was not considered in shelter implementation. Based on an assessment of macro-stability of the chars, flood frequency and flow velocity through hydro-dynamic simulation with the HEC-RAS model, two shelters were redesigned and promoted as model shelters which performed well in a subsequent flood. The approach followed in this study can be replicated for shelter implementation in any riverine char environment for better outcome.