Application Of Remote Sensing And Gis In Droughts And Floods Assessment And Monitoring

This Special Issue collates seven papers regarding the assessment or monitoring of hydrological disasters such as droughts and flood using remote sensing and geography information system (GIS) techniques. The new published research focused on evaluations and models of various hydrological hazards such as droughts and floods. Furthermore, we include two original scientific articles addressing the subject of water quality. This Special Issue received investigations based on different techniques such as remote sensing, GIS, machine learning and monitoring. All papers present findings characterized as unconventional, provocative, innovative and methodologically new. Scientific findings presented in this Special Issue highlight how a combination of various modern analysis techniques (e.g., remote sensing, GIS) can improve our understanding of complex hydrological hazards such as droughts and floods. We hope that the research contained within this Special Issue is useful to the scientific community, policymakers and stakeholders at large in the field of hydrological hazards.

This report describes the development of the near real-time drought monitoring and reporting system for the region, which currently includes Afghanistan, Pakistan and western parts of India. The system is based on drought-related indices derived from high-resolution remote-sensing data (MODIS). The unique feature of the study is the development of regression relationships between drought-related indices obtained from MODIS and AVHRR data, which have different pixel-resolution and optical characteristics. The goal is to make the system available, via Internet, to all stakeholders in the region.

Droughts and floods are water-related natural disasters which distress a broad range of ecological factors and activities related to agriculture, vegetation, human and wild life and local economies. Drought is the solo imperative weather-related natural disaster often aggravated by human action, since it distresses very large areas for months and years and thus has a thoughtful impact on regional food production, life expectancy for entire populations and economic performance of large regions or several countries. Traditional methods of drought assessment and monitoring rely on rainfall data, which are limited in the region, often inaccurate and, most importantly, difficult to obtain in near-real time. In contrast, the satellite-sensor data are consistently available and can be used to detect the onset of drought, its duration and magnitude. Even crop yields can be predicted 5 to 13 weeks prior to harvests using remote-sensing techniques. The need for proper quantification of drought impacts and monitoring and reporting of drought development is of critical importance in politically, economically and environmentally sensitive countries. Remote Sensing of Drought presents cutting-edge remote sensing tools and techniques that can be applied worldwide in order to the relevance of drought to natural hazards and climate change. To assess historical droughts and to provide drought monitoring, various indices have been proposed for different purposes and using different datasets. Despite the display of these indices, when one focuses on the processes that caused droughts, a set of consistent indices may adequately describe the different aspects of the droughts. Remote sensing techniques make it possible to obtain and distribute information rapidly over large areas by means of sensors operating in several spectral bands, mounted on aircraft or satellites. Several users such as top level policy makers at the national and international organizations, researchers, middle level policy makers at the state, province and local levels consultants, relief agencies and local producers including farmers, suppliers, traders and water managers are interested in reliable and accurate drought and flood information for effective management. This novel edition is packed with innovative remote sensing approaches to provide you with new perspectives on large-area drought monitoring and early warning.

This volume provides in-depth coverage of the latest in remote sensing of hydrological extremes: both floods and droughts. The book is divided into two distinct sections – floods and droughts – and offers a variety of techniques for monitoring each. With rapid advances in computer modelling and observing systems, floods and droughts are studied with greater precision today than ever before. Land surface models, especially over the entire Continental United States, can map the hydrological cycle at kilometre and sub-kilometre scales. In the case of smaller areas there is even higher spatial resolution and the only limiting factor is the resolution of input data. In-situ sensors are automated and the data is directly relayed to the world wide web for many hydrological variables such as precipitation, soil moisture, surface temperature and heat fluxes. In addition, satellite remote sensing has advanced to providing twice a day repeat observations at kilometre to ten-kilometre spatial scales. We are at a critical juncture in the study of hydrological extremes, and the GPM and SMAP missions as well as the MODIS and GRACE sensors give us more tools and data than were ever available before. A global variety of chapter authors provides wide-ranging perspectives and case studies that will make this book an indispensable resource for researchers, engineers, and even emergency management and insurance professionals who study and/or manage hydrological extremes.

Recent advances in the modeling and remote sensing of droughts and floods Droughts and floods are causing increasing damage worldwide, often with devastating short- and long-term impacts on human society. Forecasting when they will occur, monitoring them as they develop, and learning from the past to improve disaster management is vital. Global Drought and Flood: Observation, Modeling, and Prediction presents recent advances in the modeling and remote sensing of droughts and floods. It also describes the techniques and products currently available and how they are being used in practice. Volume highlights include: Remote sensing approaches for mapping droughts and floods Physical and statistical models for monitoring and forecasting hydrologic hazards Features of various drought and flood systems and products Use by governments, humanitarian, and development stakeholders in recent disaster cases Improving the collaboration between hazard information provision and end users The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

Applications of remote sensing technology for monitoring and predicting water-related hazards Water-related hazards such as floods and droughts have serious impacts on society. Their incidence has increased in recent decades, a trend set to continue with ongoing climate change. Adaptation and mitigation measures require accurate detection, monitoring, and forecasting, much of which comes from remote sensing technologies. Remote Sensing of Water-Related Hazards takes an interdisciplinary approach, presenting recent advances in the available data, sensors, models, and indicators developed for monitoring and prediction. Volume highlights include: Progress in remote sensing of precipitation, storms, and tornados Different techniques for flood mapping, forecasting, and early warning Integrated approach for predicting flood and landslide cascading hazards Satellite monitoring of water cycle variation, water scarcity, and drought conditions Multi-indicator and multi-sensor approaches for quantifying drought impacts The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

This book is the most comprehensive documentation of the scientific and methodological advances that have taken place in understanding remote sensing data, methods, and applications over last 50 years. In a very practical way it demonstrates the experience, utility, methods and models used in studying a wide array of water applications. There are more than 100 leading global experts in the field contributing to this work.

Remote Sensing of Drought: Innovative Monitoring Approaches presents emerging remote sensing-based tools and techniques that can be applied to operational drought monitoring and early warning around the world. The first book to focus on remote sensing and drought monitoring, it brings together a wealth of information that has been scattered throughout the literature and across many disciplines. Featuring contributions by leading scientists, it assembles a cross-section of globally applicable techniques that are currently operational or have potential to be operational in the near future. The book explores a range of applications for monitoring four critical components of the hydrological cycle related to drought: vegetation health, evapotranspiration, soil moisture and groundwater, and precipitation. These applications use remotely sensed optical, thermal, microwave, radar, and gravity data from instruments such as AMSR-E, GOES, GRACE, MERIS, MODIS, and Landsat and implement several advanced modeling and data assimilation techniques. Examples show how to integrate this information into routine drought products. The book also examines the role of satellite remote sensing within traditional drought monitoring, as well as current challenges and future prospects. Improving drought monitoring is becoming increasingly important in addressing a wide range of societal issues, from food security and water scarcity to human health, ecosystem services, and energy production. This unique book surveys innovative remote sensing approaches to provide you with new perspectives on large-area drought monitoring and early warning.