Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis for Mapping of Flood Vulnerable Areas in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Flood occurrences are common in various communities and efforts need to be doubled to abate the effect of flood on the populace. This paper used Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) in a Geospatial Information System (GIS) environment to identify and map areas vulnerable to flood in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State. The causative factors of flood in the study area that include rainfall, soil, slope, elevation, geology, land use and drainage system were first identified and analysed using MCA to reveal the most effective factors of flood in the area. The results showed that elevation having the weight of 0.24 was the most effective factor contributing to flood in the area. This was followed by drainage (0.17), slope (0.168), soil (0.167) and Land Use Land Cover (LULC) (0.14). The result also revealed that, the least factors contributing to flood in the area were rainfall and geology having weights of 0.09 and 0.12, respectively. Vulnerability analysis showed that areas on the eastern parts of the study area were extremely vulnerable to flood while north-western and southern parts of the area were least vulnerable. It was therefore suggested that, the drainages should be constructed and the existing ones be cleared of blockages to allow free movement of storm waters away from the affected areas.

Keywords: Flood Vulnerability, Geospatial Information System, Mapping and Multi Criteria Analysis