Flood Disaster Management Using MIT App Inventor - A Case Study in South India

All around the world, floods bring discomfort and death. Floods occur more frequently and with greater intensity due to socioeconomic advancements and changing weather. Flood management can be more effective by increasing the risk awareness among the vulnerable communities. Case studies that employ recent flood management strategies, including capacity building, community readiness, flood risk assessment, and flood early warning systems, were studied in detail. The 2018 flood caused extensive damage in Kerala, a state in Southern India, especially in the Chalakudy river basin. The flood management techniques through a variety of nonstructural measures were reviewed, and a capacity-building Android application was developed to help vulnerable communities in the Chalakudy basin. The MIT App Inventor platform was used to develop the mobile application. The application provides the user with flood-related information, which comprises flood forecasts by the Central Water Commission (CWC), dam water level updates by Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), emergency shelter locations, the areas that have been inundated, and certain precautions that the user should take. In addition, the system enables the user to place an emergency call to the disaster management team. The app can be modified and developed for other regions worldwide by adjusting regional parameters. The study assists in the flood mitigation process by educating the vulnerable community and making them more Flood resilient.