Flood mitigation in the transboundary chenab river basin: A basin-wise approach from flood forecasting to management

Rapid and reliable flood information is crucial for minimizing post-event catastrophes in the complex river basins of the world. The Chenab River basin is one of the complex river basins of the world, facing adverse hydrometeorological conditions with unpredictable hydrologic response. Resultantly, many vicinities along the river undergo destructive inundation, resulting in huge life and economic losses. In this study, Hydrologic Engineering Centre–Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) and HEC–River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) models were used for flood forecasting and inundation modeling of the Chenab River basin. The HEC-HMS model was used for peak flow simulation of 2014 flood event using Global Precipitation Mission (GMP) Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals-Final (IMERG-F), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission_Real Time (TRMM_3B42RT), and Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation_Near Real Time (GSMaP_NRT) precipitation products. The calibration and validation of the HEC-RAS model were carried out for flood events of 1992 and 2014, respectively. The comparison of observed and simulated flow at the outlet indicated that IMERG-F has good peak flow simulation results. The simulated inundation extent revealed an overall accuracy of more than 90% when compared with satellite imagery. The HEC-RAS model performed well at Manning’s n of 0.06 for the river and the floodplain. From the results, it can be concluded that remote sensing integrated with HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS models could be one of the workable solutions for flood forecasting, inundation modeling, and early warning. The concept of integrated flood management (IFM) has also been translated into practical implementation for joint Indo-Pak management for flood mitigation in the transboundary Chenab River basin.