Work

A High-Resolution LiDAR–GIS Framework for Riverine Flood Risk Prediction and Prevention Under Extreme Rainfall

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Riverine and pluvial flooding triggered by extreme monsoon rainfall is intensifying under climate change, yet flood-risk products in many coastal municipalities remain too coarse for parcel-scale prevention and climate-adaptive planning. This study presents a 1 m LiDAR–GIS flood susceptibility framework validated against consecutive record-breaking floods in Dangjin City, South Korea (July 2024: 214.6 mm; July 2025: 377.4 mm). Five terrain parameters—elevation, slope, topographic wetness index, flow accumulation, and distance to stream—were integrated into a weighted Flood Susceptibility Index (FSI=0.20⋅E^+0.30⋅S^+0.25⋅T^+0.15⋅F^+0.10⋅D^) and classified into four risk strata using K-means clustering (k = 4), identifying a high-risk zone of 0.3119 km2 (5.00% of the 6.18 km2 analysis domain). A Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis (n = 5000; ±0.10 weight perturbation) confirmed classification robustness (CV = 5.21%, mean Pearson r = 0.992). Static bathtub inundation scenarios (Δh = 0.5–2.0 m above the 5th-percentile baseline elevation of 13.29 m AMSL) produced footprint expansion from 0.370 to 0.572 km2, capturing all nine observed flood inventory points at the 2.0 m threshold, with flow-connectivity analysis confirming that 91.7–93.1% of predicted inundation is hydraulically connected to the D8-derived stream network. Spatial validation yielded a combined IoU of 6.51%, with a progressive increase from 3.33% (2024) to 6.50% (2025) confirming that the FSI correctly tracks flood-extent expansion with increasing rainfall intensity. Relying exclusively on topographic data and standard GIS algorithms, the framework supports scientifically grounded flood risk governance in data-limited municipalities, directly aligned with SDG 11, SDG 13, and Sendai Framework Target B.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18073390

Authors: Seung-Jun Lee, Tae-Yun Kim, Jisung Kim, Hong-Sik Yun

Institutions: Sungkyunkwan University, University of Leeds

Language: English

Topic: Flood Risk Assessment and Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Climate action, Clean water and sanitation, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896