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The Application of Hydraulic Model with Geographic Information System To Create

Flood Risk Mapping In Mae Klong River
1 2
Thudchai Sansena , Kampanad Bhaktikul
1 Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Department Agency, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. : 66-2940-6420 Fax.: 66-2561-3035 Email: thudchai@gistda.or.th
2 Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Tel.: 66-2441-0211, 66-2441-5000 Fax.: 66-2441-9509 Email: enkpd@mahidol.ac.th

ABSTRACT
The objectives of this research are to integrate hydraulic model and Geographic Information
System (GIS) for study of Mae Klong River runoff and to create flood risk map based on
hydrology and hydraulic approach. The process involved runoff frequency analysis for
designing runoff frequency, and developing GIS data for generating Digital Terrain Modeling
(DTM) and integration of Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System (HEC-
RAS) with the DTM to develop regional model for flood plain determination, and design
flood return periods to a model for simulation of the prevention, warning and forecasting.
Run-off model was calibration in 1995 and run flood simulation in 1996. The result from the
simulation model of flood in 1996 was properly presented in GIS and DTM. The DTM was
derived using contour and river spot height data. Accuracy of the model was 60.52 % based
upon the comparison of the flooding area in 1996, interpreted by Royal Irrigation Department,
and flood simulated by the model.
Further studies should be done on larger basin such as Mae Klong basin by dividing into sub-
basin. The network link method to integrate sub-basins should be introduced to have an
overview of the basin. The runoff flow in flood plain, river channel, man-made structures and
GIS database were important input factors to study runoff flow behavior and predict flood
area. Further studies are recommended to include rainfall-runoff model in upstream,
roughness values, delicate GIS data and database management.

KEYWORD : Flood, Hydraulic Model, Geographic Information System

INTRODUCTION
Flood is a natural phenomenon, which occurs everywhere. Thailand is located in monsoon
where heavy rainfall often occurs by storm in the rainy season, which cause annual flood
problem. Flood situation becomes more serious each year and make more damage ,the
government provide budget for billions bath every year to recovery damage. Flood affects not
only to human’s life, and properties, but also to natural resources depletion and degradation,
leading to environmental problems.
Although mitigation of flood problem, in short and long term, are set immediately by many
government agencies, flood extent maps are still essential owing the fact that it can provide
information on flood risk areas in variety of dimensions. Presently, there are many approaches
to forecast and create flood extent and flood risk map. However one of the worldwide
approach is the Hydrological and Hydraulic approach. This approach can input various
supported data of inundated areas, including depth and duration of flood plain areas to create
prediction system by using mathematical model

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In fact, flood extent area is vast, and requires a great deal of data especially the detailed
terrain information. Collecting all related data consumes a lot of time and budget, and
involves with complicated process. However, recent growth of Geo-Informatics Technology
can alleviate some of these difficulties. Besides, integration of Remote Sensing(RS),
Geographic Information System(GIS) technology can reduce the need of field survey data
and facilitates flood risk mapping process to be more automated and visualized. It is easier for
public to understand the output without describing.
This study showed the method of integrating the Hydrological and Hydraulic approach, with
geo-informatics to simulate flood condition in order to produce flood risk map. The result will
benefit concerned agencies to formulate a prevention plan for warning people and keeping the
national property from flood disaster.

STUDY AREA
The study area is located in the upper part of Mae Klong River, north of Mae Klong Dam at
Pho Tha Ram district, Ratchaburi province. The river length is approximately 80 kilometers
and no tidal effects from the Gulf of Thailand. The cause of flood problem is mainly due to a
number of rainfall in upstream area, which discharges to Khwae Yai and Khwae Noi River
junctions to the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi Province. It generates high volume
discharge into Mae Klong dam and then flow to downstream of Mae Klong River.

Figure 1: Study area

METHODOLOGY
In this study, the main concept is to integrate hydraulic model with GIS to simulate inundated
area using return period of flood event. The solution comprises of 4 main portions:

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Figure 2: Application Flow Diagram Result

Hydrological Analysis and Design

Annual maximum runoffs of gauging station from 1985 – 2002 (after the construction of Mae
Klong Dam) were used to design frequencies of the annual runoffs. The various probability
distributions were applied for runoff frequency analysis. Result of various analysis methods of
flood frequency were tested for goodness of fit using the chi-square (Xc2) distribution test, one
method was therefore selected for this study.
As a result, the heavy runoff pattern in 1996 was used to develop dimensionless hydrographs.
The hydrographs were used to derive synthetic inflow hydrographs for 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and
200 years return periods to obtained flood hazard map.

GIS data and Analysis

DEM 30 meter from aerial photogrammetry (scale 1: 25,000) and satellite image in 1996 and
2006 were used to created map; terrain, roads, stream and land use data in the study areas.
Thereafter the data were digitized using Erdas and Arc GIS softwares. Triangular Irregular
Network model (TIN) generated from contour and cross section to simulate land surface and
represent geometry channel data in study area. Finally, HEC-GeoRAS extension was used to
extract river and floodplain geometry and subsequently export data to HEC RAS.

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Geometry Survey
Contour point

GIS DATA

TIN PROCESS

TIN DATA
DEM DATA

Figure 3: GIS process flow diagram and study area represent in 3D view
Calibration and Simulation of HEC RAS Model
In this study runoff in 1995 used for calibration and flood in 1996 used for simulation; model
simulation was discrete into two schemes, Rough scale: The calibration process divides the
Manning’s values into 0.005 interval from the values of 0.02 to 0.05 by applying statistical
method to finally evaluate the best interval value as an input for next step. Delicate scale: The
calibration process divides the Manning’s values into 0.001 interval from the selected rough scale
values and applying statistical method to evaluate the best n Manning’s values for this study.

Generating Flood Risk Map

Water level data from each cross section of the area was transferred to ArcGIS and used to
calculate water surface area. Thereafter, Digital Terrain Model and water surface data were
compared to find out inundated area and flood area and water depth. Finally, Flood map was
separated in three level depend by water depth and overlay with landuse data to find out
flood risk map area.

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Figure 4: Flood risk map flow diagram

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The results of the study can be expressed as follows;

1. The probability distribution type for runoff frequency analysis of 2-parameter Log normal
was selected for this study due to good agreements between the observed and computed values.
The 30 days runoff pattern was used to develop the dimensionless time series runoff. The
dimensionless time series runoff was used to derive the synthetic time series runoff and then to
design seasonal runoff of 25, 50, 100 and 200 year return periods. Figure 3 and Table 1 show the
result of Hydrology analysis.

Table 1: Result of Chi-square Analysis of all

DISTRIBUTION TYPE Degree of Chi - square

freedom Value

1. Normal
2.2-parameter Log normal
3.3-parameter Log normal
4. Pearson Type III
5. Log-Pearson Type III
6. Gumbel
2 4.21
2 3.55
1 3.73
1 7.74
1 4.10
2 5.46

2. This study selects the Manning’s values between 0.02 – 0.05 for calibration the model, by
comparing between observed and computed values. Finally, the Manning’s values 0.026 was

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selected to represent flood discharge in 1996. Water level data from flood simulation in 1996
were exported to ArcGIS and used to calculate flood area. By comparison, there was 60.5 % of
flooded area in 1996( source: Office of Regional Irrigation 13) of the same flood area, which was
generated from hydraulic model (data on 12:00, 13 Oct. 1996 simulation data ) as shown in figure
xx. Table 2 and figure 4 show the comparison of flooded area in 1996 and flooding area
generated from hydraulic model (Table2).
Table 2: Comparison flood area between flood 1996 area and flood area from GIS generated

Index Flood area Flood area accuracy between flood 1996 and % of accuracy
(Km 2 ) flood model (Km 2 )

Flood 1996 553.637 335.058 60.52

Flood model 475.925 335.058 70.4

3. The result from simulated flood return periods of 25, 50, 100, 200 years were used for
creating flood hazard map by dividing into 3 water level heights ; 0 – 0.5 m, 0.5 – 1 m and more
than 1 m respectively. The 3 heights represent low, moderate and high hazard levels. Table 3
show area of each hazard level.
4. The result of hazard map were used to overlay with landuse area in 2006 and dividing into
3 level risk area. The 3 heights represent. low, moderate and high risk levels. Table4 show area of
each risk level and figure7 show flood hazard map and flood risk map.

Table 3: Result of flood hazard area depend on water depth from various return periods

Return Low* Moderate* High Hazard* Total

Period (0 – 0.5 m) (0.5 – 1.0 m) (more than 1 m) Area*
(Km 2 ) Hazard (Km 2 ) (Km 2 ) (Km 2 )
25 163.69 134.86 121.80 420.35
50 167.4 143.83 156.65 467.87
100 156.52 151.9 190.0 498.42
200 144.24 154.67 230.38 529.29
*ignor water body area

Table 4: Result of flood risk level area from various return periods

Return Low* Moderate* High * Total

Period (Km 2 ) (Km 2 ) (Km 2 ) Area*
(Km 2 )
25 106.46 278.88 35.01 420.35
50 106.04 330.7 31.14 467.88
100 99.67 321.18 77.57 498.42
200 95.19 360.02 73.87 529.29
*ignore water body area

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Figure 5: Synthetic Hydrograph in various return periods

Overlapping flood area

Non-overlap flood Ares

from model data

Non-overlap flood
area 1996

Figure 6: Flood simulation area and comparison of flood area in 1996 and flooding
area generated from hydraulic model

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Flood hazard Flood risk area

Figure 7: Flood hazard area and flood risk map area generated from 100 return
period simulation

CONCLUSION

The method of applied Hydrology analysis, Hydraulic model integrate with GIS data to
predict flood area and duration is an efficient method for producing flood risk map and can be
used to present the crisis area in different return period. Flood risk information can be used by all
concerned government agencies to protect, beware and rescue people and property in flood plain
area. However, this method has various weakness and limitations which are included as follow;
- An accuracy of the digital terrain model of the study area is the most important factor. In
this study, flood extent area represents flood area correctly 60.5% based on map scale 1 : 25000.
For further study, a more detailed map(larger than 1 : 25000) should be used in order to gain
more accuracy.
- Man-made structure within the river network should be included into Hydraulic model
and GIS data because it may effects the overall results of the digital terrain model and the flow
calculation.
- Unsteady flow algorithm is more suitable for river simulation flow than steady one.
However for more accuracy to simulate flow in flood plain, it is suggested to use 2 D model.
- SAR image (Satellite data) is the most important for future study because it can be used
to check reliability of flood area with simulation model’s result. By comparing the computed
flood area with the real flood area.
- This method is suitable for sub basin area, because TIN base delineate works smoothly
for a small area. However, rainfall-runoff model would included study for predict in simulation

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mode, the result can be applied for warning and forecasting system of the Mae Klong basin by
separating such basin into subbasin. The network link method to integrate subbasin is introduced
to have an overview of Mae Klong basin scenario.

REFERENCES

1) Andrysiak, Jr., P.B. (2000) Visual Floodplain Modeling with Geographic Information
Systems, research of master degree of science in engineering, University of Texas, Austin,
USA
2) Kawinpoomstan, W. (1998) Flood Risk Mapping of The Yom River Basin : Phrae and
Sukhoteai Areas,Thailand, Thesis no WM-97-22 Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani,
Thailand.
3) Latif, S. (1999) Flood Control and Drainage in the Lower Mae Klong River, Thesis no WM-
98-11 Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, Thailand.
4) Arcement, G.J. and Schneider, V.R. (1989) Guide for Selecting Manning's Roughness
Coefficients for Natural Channels and Flood Plains, United States Geological Survey Water-
supply Paper (WSP-2339)

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