Urban flood vulnerability zoning of Cochin City, southwest coast of India, using remote sensing and GIS

The present study identified the various zones vulnerable to urban flood in Cochin City, one of the biggest metro cities on the southwest coast of peninsular India. The analysis and assessment of vulnerability was done through the application of multi-criteria evaluation approach in a geographical information system environment with inputs from remotely sensed images. Other input data sources include SRTM DEM, census details, city maps and field study. Flood vulnerability mapping in the study area is fundamental in flood risk management. Among the three vulnerability zones, the very high and high vulnerable zones together constituted 8.6 % of the total area of the city. The major factors contributed are the blockage of drainage channels and the proximity to coastal waters where there is influence of tides. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015