Urban Flood Hazard Zonation in Bengaluru Urban District, India

Flooding in urban areas is increasingly becoming a global challenge, driven by extreme rainfall events and the vulnerability or resilience of affected regions. This urban flood disaster not only threatens societal security but also hampers economic development in cities. Satellite remote sensing technology has played a crucial role in all aspects of flood disaster management, including preparedness, prevention, and relief efforts. Space systems, with their advantageous perspective, have proven their ability to provide essential information and services for effective flood management.

This study focuses on creating flood hazard maps for Bengaluru’s urban district using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)-based Multi-Criterion Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Factors such as rainfall, drainage networks, land use, groundwater levels, terrain elevation, slope, and soil type are considered. The AHP method assigns weights and ranks to each factor, and a weighted linear combination approach is used to merge basic maps into the final flood vulnerability map.