DEVELOPING A GIS DATABASE OF HAZARDOUS HYDROLOGICAL EVENTS (WITH THE KAMA RIVER BASIN AS AN EXAMPLE)

Abstract

Databases of hazardous hydrological events (HHE) provide an information basis for their mapping and risk assessment, and are also important for assessing the reliability of modeling and forecasts. For the territory of Russia, the publicly availableinformation on HHE is incomplete and unstructured. This paper deals with the creation of a database of HHE in the Kama River basinfor the period from 1990 to the present. The compiled dataset is based on long-term observations at a network of gauging stations, onpreviously published databases of flood events, publications in the media, social networks, and specialized information resources. Thestructure of the database includes three hierarchical levels: reports on a flood event and/or related damage with geolocation at settlements or gauging stations, information on a flood event for the entire river basin, and characteristics of extreme precipitation (only forrain-induced floods). In total, the database includes 282 reports, of which 223 cases induced economic losses. The majority of cases (79%) are associated with spring floods; rain, rain-on-snow, and flash floods accounted for 17% of cases; the other 4% are related toice jams and icings. The developed database will serve as a basis for risk mapping in the Kama River basin.