Urban Flood Risk and Hazard Zoning Of Dessie City, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Abstract

Flooding has a substantial effect on human activities; by intimidating people’s life, health, property, socioeconomic circumstances; and environment. Therefore, different methodologies including GIS and RS based studies have been applied to discover the cause and take solutions. A quantitative cross-sectional survey research design was employed. Primary and secondary data were used and sourced in the form of vector and raster data types. The data were collected using satellite images, field visits, document reviews; and structured questionnaires for Key informant interviews. Flood risk result was produced using flood hazard and flood vulnerability as the major criteria. The result showed that very low, low, moderate, high; and very high level of flood risk were identified in 15.51 Km2 (31 %), 4.40 Km2 (8.8%), 21.99 Km2 (44%), 0.06 Km2 (0.12%) and 7.99 Km2 (16.00%) of the study area, respectively. Very high flood risk was found in the central part of the area. Sefere-selam, Robit, and Tequam Kebeles have been identified as areas with the highest flood risk. Therefore, the variations of biophysical and socioeconomic factors in a different part of a study area lead to having differences in levels of flood impacts. Similarly, 66.28% of an area was identified as a very high flood risk area where the communities suffered from the frequent impact of flooding. As a result the government should be left as a protected area the path of streams and mountains in eastern and western part of the town to mitigate the problem.