Satellite Prediction Of Floods In India

Floods are one of the most devastating and costly national disasters each year affecting on an average 96.9 million people worldwide and causing $13.7 Billion in damages according to U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. They wash away or destroy Homes, Pollute Drinking Water and a source to giving birth to water borne diseases.
The Indian sub-continent is one of the most affected due to chronic flood events mostly induced by periodic monsoon rainfall. The North - Eastern state of Assam has a complex fluvial systems of rivers, mainly with two inter connected rivers of Brahmaputra and Barak which together enter Bay of Bengal.
Due to enormous sediment transport from the upper catchment areas and subsequent lack of carrying capacity of the channels in these two river valleys, flooding is a periodic phenomenon every year during the peak monsoon months from June to Sept. causing extensive damages to life and property.

Satellite plays important role in detection and monitoring of flood situations over large regions. Optical remote sensing from geostationary platform provides rapid and valuable information on cloud patterns and meteorological parameters (Rainfall), however unable to image the surface water conditions in the presence of cloud. Microwave Remote Sensing techniques have advantage in which electromagnetic radiation penetrate the clouds and senses the surface hydrological characteristics. Data collected was used for detection of flood situations over India. Meteorologists use variety of tools to predict floods. These tools include Satellites, Rain Gauges, Airborne Lasers and Weather Radars. Flood prediction require several types of Data -
1) Amount of rainfall on a real time basis.
2) Rate of change in river stage on a real time basis which can help indicate severity and immediacy of the threat.
Flood problem can be solved by -
1) Restore rivers to natural course.
2) Introduce better warning systems.
3) Construct buildings above flood levels.
4) Tackle climate change.
5) Modify homes and businesses to withstand floods.
6) Increase spending on flood defence.
7) Protect wetlands and introduce plant trees strategically.
8) Introduce water storage areas.



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