Concept

This service consists in the production and maintenance of geo-information to support decision making in risk management duties. It produces and maintains geo-information about areas potentially subject to floods. It comprises information about past and potential flood events as well as estimation of potential damages & losses. By integration of these data into management system (“Flood Information System”), an efficient and supportive use of information is enabled. This service is provided on user request and builds on EO data as well as ancillary data sets and modeling techniques. The delivered geo-information is targeted to support flood prevention and post-crisis management.

The service package consists of four complementary services:

Mapping of Past Flood Events - Risk analysis based on analysis of satellite image archives (FRA1).

Within the framework of flood risk management, past flood event mapping allows a feedback to the past, which is important for the risk memory. This service will use EO data acquired during former crisis events to provide geo-information products and damage assessment maps and reports to better support flood risk assessment.

Risk Maps and Flood Event simulation based on hydraulic modeling (FRA2)

Simulation techniques provide essential information for Flood Risk Management and decision support. Complementing EO-based information, this service comprises information about flood risk zones and impact of specific flooding scenarios (e.g. extreme events, dam failure). The simulations also generate information like water depth, flowing velocity and flow direction which are of high value for civil protection forces.

Flood Damage Assessment (FRA3)

Based on either Flood Risk Maps (FRA2) or Mapping of former Flood Events (FRA1) this service provides an assessment of estimated losses/damages of the respective flood event. Damage calculation is performed using well-established model algorithms and ancillary data (e.g. socio-economic). Flood Damage Assessment produced with FRA 1 products only are referenced FRA3b. Flood Damage Assessment produced with FRA2 products are referenced FRA3a.

Flood Information System (FRA4) Information integration (EO-based data and user-supplied ancillary data) into a “flood database”.

Expected benefits

The Flood Risk Analysis services help to improve decision support by providing geo-information faster, easier, comparable and more transparent. The integration of geo-information (actual and historical) will provide added value to the existing decision support systems/work-flows.
Flood Risk Maps based on modeling provide essential information (potential flood extents & potential economic losses in case of major events or dam failures) for flood risk preparedness & environmental planning.
The assessment of former (recent & historic) flood events is a knowledge-base for environmental and town planning issues.
The estimation of potential and/or actual damages provides additional information for socio-economic impact of flood events. This supports decision making of both, the environmental and town planning authorities, as well as the insurance companies.
The integration of all information relevant for flood risk management supports the decision makers. It enables the easy and on-demand access to various data sources needed for decision making. Integration and GIS-analysis of these various data sources will generate improved information for flood risk management.
Reduced costs for geo-information procurement (“make best use of data sources”) is another benefit expected by the users.

Main technical features of the products

EXISTING PRODUCT