Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal

Comprehensive flood risk assessment is often constrained by a lack of appropriate data in high-altitude watersheds, particularly in developing countries like Nepal, where institutional capacities are limited for mapping and monitoring flood-prone communities. This study, one of the first of its kind...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chaudhary, U., Shah, M. A. R., Shakya, B. M., Aryal, Anil
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152509
_version_ 1855521926716325888
author Chaudhary, U.
Shah, M. A. R.
Shakya, B. M.
Aryal, Anil
author_browse Aryal, Anil
Chaudhary, U.
Shah, M. A. R.
Shakya, B. M.
author_facet Chaudhary, U.
Shah, M. A. R.
Shakya, B. M.
Aryal, Anil
author_sort Chaudhary, U.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Comprehensive flood risk assessment is often constrained by a lack of appropriate data in high-altitude watersheds, particularly in developing countries like Nepal, where institutional capacities are limited for mapping and monitoring flood-prone communities. This study, one of the first of its kind, produced spatial multi-criteria-based flood susceptibility, vulnerability, and risk index maps for the Kathmandu Valley (KV) watershed in Nepal using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach and Geographical Information System (GIS). The result shows that most parts of the KV (around 80%) have moderate to low flood susceptibility around the watershed but susceptibility is prominent in southern areas. Highly flood-susceptible regions (about 14%) are found mainly along the riverbanks. Flood vulnerability, primarily influenced by population density and literacy rate, is moderate to low in most areas of the watershed (around 86%), predominantly higher in the central urban areas, and gradually lower towards the edge of the watershed. Flood risks in the major portion of the watershed (around 72%), mainly in the southern and eastern parts, are estimated as moderate to low risk, whereas higher risk zones are found in the central urban areas. The high contrast in flood vulnerability scores across the watershed has mainly contributed to the variation of flood risk zones, as flood susceptibility scores are fairly distributed over the watershed. The study findings will help policymakers develop location-specific sustainable flood risk management strategies for the flood-vulnerable communities in the KV watershed.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace152509
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher MDPI
publisherStr MDPI
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1525092025-12-08T10:29:22Z Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal Chaudhary, U. Shah, M. A. R. Shakya, B. M. Aryal, Anil flooding risk assessment vulnerability disaster risk management decision making watersheds geographical information systems rainfall Comprehensive flood risk assessment is often constrained by a lack of appropriate data in high-altitude watersheds, particularly in developing countries like Nepal, where institutional capacities are limited for mapping and monitoring flood-prone communities. This study, one of the first of its kind, produced spatial multi-criteria-based flood susceptibility, vulnerability, and risk index maps for the Kathmandu Valley (KV) watershed in Nepal using an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach and Geographical Information System (GIS). The result shows that most parts of the KV (around 80%) have moderate to low flood susceptibility around the watershed but susceptibility is prominent in southern areas. Highly flood-susceptible regions (about 14%) are found mainly along the riverbanks. Flood vulnerability, primarily influenced by population density and literacy rate, is moderate to low in most areas of the watershed (around 86%), predominantly higher in the central urban areas, and gradually lower towards the edge of the watershed. Flood risks in the major portion of the watershed (around 72%), mainly in the southern and eastern parts, are estimated as moderate to low risk, whereas higher risk zones are found in the central urban areas. The high contrast in flood vulnerability scores across the watershed has mainly contributed to the variation of flood risk zones, as flood susceptibility scores are fairly distributed over the watershed. The study findings will help policymakers develop location-specific sustainable flood risk management strategies for the flood-vulnerable communities in the KV watershed. 2024-08 2024-09-30T19:33:46Z 2024-09-30T19:33:46Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152509 en Open Access MDPI Chaudhary, U.; Shah, M. A. R.; Shakya, B. M.; Aryal, Anil. 2024. Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal. Sustainability, 16(16):7101. (Special issue: Sustainable Disaster Risk Management: Transformative and Resilient Practices - 2nd Edition) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167101]
spellingShingle flooding
risk assessment
vulnerability
disaster risk management
decision making
watersheds
geographical information systems
rainfall
Chaudhary, U.
Shah, M. A. R.
Shakya, B. M.
Aryal, Anil
Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal
title Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal
title_full Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal
title_fullStr Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal
title_full_unstemmed Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal
title_short Flood susceptibility and risk mapping of Kathmandu Valley Watershed, Nepal
title_sort flood susceptibility and risk mapping of kathmandu valley watershed nepal
topic flooding
risk assessment
vulnerability
disaster risk management
decision making
watersheds
geographical information systems
rainfall
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152509
work_keys_str_mv AT chaudharyu floodsusceptibilityandriskmappingofkathmanduvalleywatershednepal
AT shahmar floodsusceptibilityandriskmappingofkathmanduvalleywatershednepal
AT shakyabm floodsusceptibilityandriskmappingofkathmanduvalleywatershednepal
AT aryalanil floodsusceptibilityandriskmappingofkathmanduvalleywatershednepal