SmartFLOOD: AI-based cloud-web platform for mapping flood hazard over large areas at global scale

Abstract:

The mapping of flood hazard can be time and resource consuming, but it is essential for assessing flood risk and for designing strategies to avoid consequences and recover faster in the event of flooding. This generally involves setting up complex numerical hydrologic/hydrodynamic models to simulate the flow of water in river channels and over the floodplains. Although such approach is considered standard, it is not always feasible, for example like mapping floods over large areas or produce a number of scenarios. The integration of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms together with cloud computing and web GIS mapping technologies can provide flood hazard analysis in "real-time".

SmartFLOOD is an innovative Artificial Intelligence Cloud-Web platform developed to drastically reduce cost and processing time in mapping Fluvial Flood Hazard at large-scales and at high resolution anywhere in the world. SmartFLOOD generates in in real-time comprehensive flood hazard map for every place in Europe (at 25 m resolution) and for the entire planet (at 90 m resolution). SmartFLOOD's core algorithms are based on the morphological descriptor Geomorphic Flood Index GFI, and its use as a AI-based linear binary classification feature. The GFI is generated by processing available Digital Elevation Model -DEM, EUDEM at 25 m resolution and GlobalMerit HYDRO at 90 m resolution. SmartFLOOD requires as unique input a binary benchmark Flood Hazard Map usually provided by numerical hydrodynamic simulations (JRC Lisflood Maps), satellite binary classification (Copernicus Sentinel 1) or on-site survey.

The cloud web platform firstly enables the capability to extend informations of existing flood areas to uncovered regions (for example from a sub-basin to the entire hydrological basin) secondly to downscale at higher resolution, up to 25 m, the available flood hazard reference maps.