Flood inundation modeling and hazard assessment in Lower Ping River Basin using MIKE FLOOD

Annual fluvial and pluvial floods happened in Lower Ping River Basin, Thailand. A flood hazard assessment approach was performed in the present study to evaluate flood impacts. The coupled 1D-2D hydrodynamic (HD) modeling package was applied for different return periods to investigate and classify the flood hazards. The 1D hydrodynamic model was calibrated for flood year 2011 at discharge and water level stations. The 2D hydrodynamic model was calibrated using observed flood map. Flood hazards were categorized based on critical flood depths for flooding scenarios of 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year return periods. The results showed that 28.8% of the total basin area (2423.8 km(2)) was flooded during the 100-year return period, and the maximum flood inundation area was observed in Kamphaengphet and Nakhon Sawan provinces. Mostly, the flooded area under each return period was categorized under high hazard, followed by low and medium, and the least area was classified under a very high hazard level. More than 40% of sub-districts' area of Kamphaengphet and Nakhon Sawan provinces were flooded, which is located along the Ping River, while less than 20% sub-districts' area was flooded in Tak Province. The government and local stakeholders need to consider structural and nonstructural measures to reduce flood impacts in three provinces, and priority-based areal flood management approaches should be considered during the implementation of flood mitigation measures.