Study on flood risk assessment using GIS approach with principal component analysis in Kuantan

Abstract

Flood risk assessment is an important part in the work of disaster prevention and mitigation. A regional flood risk assessment parameter indexes was established in this study. The parameter indexes are rainfall, elevation, slope degree, drainage, land use and population density. This study took Kuantan as the case study where in recent years, some areas in Kuantan were flooded during the period of heavy rainfall. This study also used the data (flood depth and affected people) of flood event in 2013 as the flood history parameters. The principal component analysis (PCA) is implemented in this study to assess the level of flood risk in Kuantan and to find out the principal factors of flood. The spatial analysis of geographic information system (GIS) applied in this study was able to provide the basis for flood risk assessment. The results showed that the high risk zones were concentrated in Kuala Kuantan, Beserah, and Sungai Karang which were the urban areas with high density of people and buildings. The results of the assessment were objective and in line with the actual conditions of this study.