Title: Time-series change detection approach for flood modelling

Authors: Rifaat Abdalla

Addresses: Disaster and Emergency Management Graduate Program, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada

Abstract: A remote sensing approach for flood mitigation is presented. Landsat TM satellite imagery and digital topographic sheets were the main datasets for mapping a section of the Qu|Appelle River, located in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada. Three time-series change detection images for periods between 1988-1992, 1992-2000 and 1988-2000 demonstrate that Landsat satellite data are efficient multi-temporal and multi-spectral media for the characterisation and analysis of floodplains. Our results allowed for mapping of changes in the Qu|Appelle River floodplain. Remote sensing technologies are effective, fast and economical tools for the mapping and visualisation of the spatial extent for flood mitigation models, especially for this section of the Qu|Appelle River.

Keywords: flood modelling; remote sensing; flood mitigation; satellite imagery; digital topographic sheets; Canada; Landsat; change detection; floodplains; mapping; visualisation; environmental policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPDM.2010.033910

International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making, 2010 Vol.1 No.1, pp.40 - 50

Published online: 03 Jul 2010 *

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