ASSESSMENT OF FLOOD INUNDATION MODELING ON THE ZHAYIK RIVER

Floods on the Zhayik River pose a significant threat to natural ecosystems and the local population, making their study and forecasting particularly relevant. This study explores the potential of hydraulic modeling for flood inundation mapping and assessing its reliability using modern observational and remote sensing data. Modeling was carried out in the HEC-RAS 2D software package with the application of hydrological observations and a digital elevation model. Validation of the results was performed using high-resolution PlanetScope satellite imagery and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data. The comparison revealed a high level of spatial agreement: the overlap between simulated and observed inundation zones reached 87%, the mean difference in inundated area was 12.4 ha, and the average error in reproducing floodwater depth did not exceed 0.18 m. The results demonstrated a strong consistency between model outputs and observations, confirming the effectiveness of hydraulic modeling for flood analysis. The findings have both scientific and practical significance. The integrated approach, combining hydraulic modeling with remote sensing and UAV data, provides opportunities for improving flood monitoring and forecasting systems, as well as for developing measures to mitigate the consequences of flooding in the Zhayik River basin.