Flood Hazard Mapping and Monitoring in the Kamrup District of the Lower Brahmaputra Valley, Assam: A Geospatial Appraisal

Floods are one of the most cataclysmic events occurring globally. Amongst the South Asian nations, India is one of the most highly flood-prone countries. More than 40 million hectares are flood-vulnerable out of the total geographical area of 329 million hectares. The months of June to September receive an over 80% precipitation in the country. The state of Assam, bearing a vast network of rivers and more than 50 tributaries of Brahmaputra and Barak surpasses through flood catastrophe annually. The flood-prone area of the state as assessed by the Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA) is 31.05 lakh hectares against the total area of the state of 78.523 lakh hectares i.e., about 39.58% of the total land area of Assam (Flood and Erosion Problems 2023). Such a loss calls for an effective management strategy, amongst which Geoinformatics plays a vital role. Being an umbrella science, it examines and assists evaluators in managing a hazard effectively to a great extent. Hence, the study of flood hazards through the lens of geoinformatics becomes crucial. This chapter attempts to appraise the role of geoinformatics in the flood-affected district of Kamrup, Assam. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method has prepared the flood hazard map. During flood disasters, remote sensing and GIS technologies can monitor the situation and give decision-makers geographically dispersed statistics for prompt preparation, recovery, and mitigation plans. Thus, this study provides an innovative view of flood hazard mapping and remarkably contributes to flood monitoring.