GIS Based Flooding Analysis Kaluwanchikudy DS Division, Sri Lanka

The major objective of this study is to identify the flood severity level of the study area using GIS applications. By employing this map, safer habitation zones were established. Direct personal observation and face-to-face interview was done to gather the primary data and Disaster Management center reports, Census reports of Sri Lanka; images and published research reports were used as secondary data. The severity level of flooding in this area was analyzed using SRTM imagery in ArcGIS and overlaid on a Google Earth pro map. The findings of the study established that the highly affected area consisted of around 8,953.003 sq·km, the moderately affected area was around 9,190.781 sq·km, and the lowly affected area was approximately 9,310.39 sq·km within the study area. The major causes for flood disaster in this area are the lack of drainage systems in some potential flood regions, the low landscape, poorly maintained drainage systems and the geographical arrangement of the road network. By creating this map, the inhabitants will be aware of danger areas and can relocate accordingly [3, 5-9].