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The necessity of plural valuation of costs for flood risk management is widely acknowledged, but practical case studies are still scarce. We developed a GIS-based plural valuation framework to determine spatially explicit priority categories for flood risk management intervention schemes on the Drava River, Southern Hungary. A conventional economic evaluation, including land market prices and additional costs due to legal conservation restrictions, was complemented by ecological valuation of vulnerability. The inclusion of ecological vulnerability significantly changed the proposed priority areas for flood risk management interventions: in this case, softwood riparian forests face far less threat, together with other Natura 2000 habitats, in comparison to unprotected wetlands and grasslands. This valuation framework also highlights priority habitats and areas for joint conservation and water management projects, utilising the synergies between several EU Directives as the Birds Directive, Habitats Directive, Flood Directive, and Water Framework Directive. Our framework is adaptable for the other floodplains along major or medium-sized European rivers, assuming that specific local settings are considered.

Morphometric indices from high-resolution DEMs can contribute to the estimation of flash flood susceptibility in mountainous areas. We have screened 25 morphometric indices commonly used in literature, and based on a correlation matrix, selected those which showed the strongest relationship with flash flood generation: area (A), drainage texture (Rt), drainage density (Dd), elongation ratio (Re), form factor (Ff), lemniscate method (k), Gravelius coefficient (GC), forested area (Fa) and relief ratio (Rr). Among them Dd, Rt and Rr were in direct relationship with the probability of flash flood generation, while A, Re, Fa, Ff, k and GC are in inverse relationship with the intensity of flash floods. Our summary map shows the prioritization of the subwatersheds on a scale of 0 to 9. The flash flood risk ranking was empirically verified using 20-year water regime data obtained from 14 official stream gauges. Our conclusions only partially agree with former observations which may be explained by the particular lithology and morphology of the Mecsek Hills. Since the lower sections of the subwatersheds are urbanized, for optimal watershed management more detailed GIS analyses of anthropogenic controls on flash flood hazard are needed in the future.

Over the past decades, in the mountainous, hilly and/or urban areas of Hungary several high-intensity storms were followed by severe flash flooding and other hydrologic consequences. The overall aim of this paper was to upgrade the national flash flood susceptibility map of Hungary first published by Czigány et al. (2011). One elementary watershed level (FFSIws) and three settlement level flash flood susceptibility maps (FFSIs) were constructed using 13 environmental factors that influence flash flood generation. FFSI maps were verified by 2,677 documented flash flood events. In total, 5,458 watersheds were delineated. Almost exactly 10% of all delineated watersheds were included into the category of extreme susceptibility. While the number of the mean-based FFSIs demonstrated a normal quasi-Gaussian distribution with very low percentages in the quintile of low and extreme categories, the maximum-based FFSIs overemphasized the proportion of settlements of high and extreme susceptibility. These two categories combined accounted for more than 50% of all settlements. The highest accuracy at 59.02% for class 5 (highest susceptibility) was found for the majority based FFSIs. The current map has been improved compared to the former one in terms of (i) a higher number of conditional factors considered, (ii) higher resolution, (iii) being settlement-based and (iv) a higher number of events used for verification.

Increasingly severe hydrological extremes are predicted for the Pannonian Basin as one of the consequences of climate change. The challenges of extreme droughts require the adaptation of agriculture especially during the intense growth phase of crops. For dryland farming, the selections of the optimal land use type and sustainable agricultural land management are potential adaptation tools for facing the challenges posed by increased aridity. To this end, it is indispensable to understand soil moisture (SM) dynamics under different land use types over drought-affected periods. Within the framework of a Slovenian–Hungarian project, soil moisture, matric potential and rainfall time series have been collected at three pilot sites of different land use types (pasture, orchards and a ploughland) in SW Hungary since September 2018. Experiments were carried out in soils of silt, silt loam and clay loam texture. In the summers (June 1 to August 31) of 2019 and 2022, we identified normal and dry conditions, respectively, with regard to differences in water balance. Our results demonstrated that soil moisture is closely controlled by land use. Marked differences of the moisture regime were revealed among the three land use types based on statistical analyses. Soils under pasture had the most balanced regime, whereas ploughland soils indicated the highest amplitude of moisture dynamics. The orchard, however, showed responses to weather conditions in sharp contrast with the other two sites. Our results are applicable for loamy soils under humid and subhumid temperate climates and for periods of extreme droughts, a condition which is expected to be the norm for the future.

There is an increasing need for paleoclimate records from continental settings to better understand the climatic changes during critical periods such as the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. Present data indicates a transition from a warmer than present-day climate to a substantially different cooler climate. This study reviews the oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of mammalian tooth enamel for the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene of South and Central Europe to reconstruct the spatial distribution and temporal changes of the vegetation and oxygen isotope composition of precipitation (δ18Oppt). In addition to a literature review, this study adds new stable isotope measurements for this period. All δ13C values indicate C3 ecosystems and reflect major changes in the water use efficiency and/or in the prevailing humidity. The reconstructed major floral types range from woodland to woodland ‒ mesic grassland in all of the investigated regions. The carbon isotope compositions of fossil mammal teeth demonstrate that the spatial distribution of vegetation was broadly similar to those of the present-day for the Early/Late Pliocene – Early Pleistocene, with the most “closed” vegetation in Central and Northern Italy, while open mesic grassland vegetation covers can be reconstructed for the Iberian Peninsula, Massif Central region (Central France) and the Carpathian Basin. The calculated δ18Oppt values give a negative temporal shift of about 1–1.5‰ from the Early Pliocene to Late Pliocene – Early Pleistocene in three regions (Iberian Peninsula, Central Italy, Carpathian Basin), potentially representing a 1.5–3.0 °C decrease in mean annual temperatures (MAT) over time. In the Massif Central region and the Carpathian Basin, the δ18Oppt values are almost the same for the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene, while in Northern Italy the values decreased over that period. The δ18Oppt values are in the range of present-day δ18Oppt values over the Early Pliocene and somewhat lower than present-day values for the Late Pliocene - Early Pleistocene in most of the regions. Because most other proxies indicate warmer than present-day climate for the Early Pliocene and similar to present-day climate for the Early Pleistocene, the δ18Oppt values are generally lower than expected, which can be partially explained by local effects.

Increasingly severe weather extremes are predicted as one of the consequences of climate change. According to climatic models, weather extremities induce higher risks for both flood and drought in the Carpathian Basin. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, flood control relied on cost-intensive engineering structures, but recently ecological solutions have come to the fore. Flood hazard on major rivers could be mitigated if multiple and cumulative water retention opportunities are exploited on the upper sections of tributary catchments. Appropriate land use and landscape pattern changes can shift the infiltration to run-off ratio to the benefit of the former. In the Transdanubian Hills of Southwest Hungary three study areas with different agricultural land use types had been selected and investigated for the impact of landscape micro-features on soil moisture retention capacity with the purpose of conserving water from wet periods for the times of drought. Marked differences in moisture dynamics have been detected between arable land, grasslands and orchards. This fact underlines the need for integrated soil and water conservation. Drought risk was found to be the highest on ploughland. Favourable soil water budgets have been observed in the fields as a function of land use: less intensive types, like grazing land and orchards (particularly tree rows), were identified as places of high water retention capacity. Although serious water stress conditions were also reached in the orchard, it markedly mitigated drought conditions compared to the ploughland.

The identification of drought-sensitive areas (DSAs) in floodplain Fluvisols of high textural pedodiversity is crucial for sustainable land management purposes. During extended drought periods moisture replenishment is only available by capillary rise from the groundwater. However, moisture flux is often hindered by capillary barriers in the interface between layers of contrasting textures. The results of HYDRUS-1D simulations run on multilayered soil profiles were integrated into textural maps to determine the spatial distribution of water dynamics on the floodplain of the Drava River (SW Hungary). Model runs and field data revealed limited moisture replenishment by capillary rise when both contrasting textural interfaces and sandy layers are present in the profile. By implementing these textural and hydraulic relations, a drought vulnerability map (DSA map) of the operational area of the Old Drava Programme (ODP) was developed. According to the spatial distribution of soils of reduced capillary rise, 52% of the ODP area is likely threatened by droughts. Our model results are adaptable for optimisation of land- and water-management practices along the floodplains of low-energy and medium-sized rivers under humid continental and maritime climates.

Constructions of dams influence river courses by cutting off sediment delivery and altering flow regime. We conducted flume experiments to study how sediment starvation, flow deficit and occurrence of series of floods with sediment load influence the evolution of channel planform. Results indicated that reduced flow caused a transition from a braided to incised single-thread planform with remains of inactive channels. The planform resembled rivers suffering from flow reduction caused by dams and constructions of irrigation canals (e.g., Central Platte River, USA). Simulation of series of floods with no sediment delivery caused the formation of an anabranching planform with incised main channel, alluvial islands, and side channels active at high flows. This evolution corresponds to river courses altered by sediment starvation and series of floods (e.g., the lower Drava River, Hungary). Floods with delivery of fines created a single-thread, incised channel with terraces along banks. Such channels are formed by rivers closed by dams, and compensating sediment deficit by sediment load from tributaries and/or floodplains (e.g., the Green River, USA). The flume tests demonstrated how flow and sediment deficit influence river channels and that the potential for restoration strongly depends on possibilities for the activation of sediment supply. However, restoration of pre-dam conditions is often impossible owing to other hydro technical works and land use changes. The highest restoration potential refers to the rivers compensating sediment delivery blocked by dams with tributary and floodplain resources.

Terroir refers to the geographical origin of wines. The landscape factors (topography, parent rock, soil, microbial life, climate, natural vegetation) are coupled with cultural factors (cultivation history and technology, cultivars and rootstock) and all together define a terroir. The physical factors can be well visualized by a slope profile developed into a pedosequence showing the regular configuration of the relevant physical factors for a wine district. In the present study the generalized topographic pedosequence (or catena) and GIS spatial model of the Villány Hills, a historical wine producing region, serves for the spatial representation and characterization of terroir types. A survey of properties of Cabernet Franc grape juice allowed the comparison of 10 vineyards in the Villány Wine District, Southwest Hungary. Five grape juice properties (FAN, NH3, YAN, density and glucose + fructose content) have been found to have a moderate linear relationship (0.5 (HI) and aspect. Aspect,when determined on the basis of angular distance from South (180°),showed a strong correlation (r2> 0.7) with FAN, NH3, YAN, sugar and density and moderate correlation with primary amino nitrogen (PAN).HI showed a correlation with three nitrogen related parameters FAN, NH3, YAN, density and glucose + fructose content. Elevation and slope, however, did not correlate with any of the chemical properties.

Remodeling of geography education has been an ongoing challenge recently. Constructivist pedagogy, employing tools of problem and model-based learning, offers new opportunities to meet these challenges. Geomodels, flumes and stream tables may ease the understanding of geographic processes through hand-on-experience for students. With a computer-controlled geomodel, we analyzed the development of 36 high school students’ terminology in the fields of potamology and remote sensing. Potamology terms, provided after the experimental session, were more focused and reflected the information perception and fixation during the experiment. Three weeks later the terminology of the students indicated a partial fixation of the relevant terms. When students’ terminology on remote sensing was analyzed, the pre-experiment terms were loosely connected to the topic. Over the class, students’ terminology increased in the field of potamology. Although it became more topic-specific and focused, students’ remote sensin...

The hydromorphological properties of rivers and their floodplains receive increased attention both in basic research and water management. A comparison of hydromorphological parameters before and after river regulation (involving floodplain drainage) provides important information for river management, particularly floodplain rehabilitation. The paper assesses a selected reach of the Drava River and the corresponding floodplain utilising two international approaches, the REFORM framework and the Italian Morphological Quality Index.

Many nature reserves and protected areas are found in the Southern Transdanubian Region (SW Hungary) and they partly belong to the operational area of the Duna-Drava National Park (DDNP). In the current paper we review the potential geohazards that may affect the area. Our results indicate that the predominant geohazards include large riverine floods on the alluvial plains, while a high-degree of vulnerability is generated owing to the high relief. High relief may trigger intense runoff following intense rainfall events and downpours, where consequences, such as flash floods, mass movements and soil erosion may result in various disasters and catastrophes. Nonetheless, since the definition of catastrophes is human-oriented, the direct consequences of disasters may act as positive and beneficial processes in uninhabited natural environments.

In recent decades both physical modelling and computer simulation of fl uvial processes has undergone rapid progress. The paper summarizes the achievements of both international and Hungarian laboratory experiments in fl uvial geomorphology. Then, the new automatically governed fl ume facility, called PTETHYS (Project for Tectonical and Hydrological Simulations) recently set up at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Pecs, is presented. Finally, some of the new opportunities it off ers for research in fl uvial geomorphology are briefl y demonstrated: the identifi cation of geomorphological thresholds; modelling the generation of (fl ash) fl oods and its application for the reconstruction of the architectural elements and geomorphic evolution of fl oodplains. Some important channel parameters can be quantitatively investigated: channel cross-section change, amount of bedload infl uencing braiding, current velocity distribution etc. The novelty of the facility is the easy adjustment of channel slope and continuous experimenting (no need for interruption as in the case of laserscanned experiments). The scaling necessary for quantitative analyses is also tackled.

Landscape memory and ecological memory are relatively new concepts developed independently in geomorphology and ecology. Eco-geomorphology strives to enrich the concept of landscape memory with that of ecological memory, as ecosystems build inherent parts of landscapes and are controlled by geomorphological factors. This integration is illustrated by a small-scale eco-geomorphological case study of links between ecosystems and their hydrogeomorphological template, in the floodplain of a medium size Hungarian River. Despite that the river is channelized by 1835 and most of the study area is under intensive agricultural cultivation, the seminatural vegetation along the various reaches shows significant variations according to geomorphological background variables: detrended correspondence analysis yields results of p = 0.002 significance. Our results prove that geomorphological patterns in floodplains, defined by landscape memory, and the related vegetation patterns, as manifestations of ecological memory, jointly determine the face of floodplain landscapes. The integration of ecological memory into the definition of landscape memory may help meet the challenges of eco-geomorphology and facilitate a holistic understanding of landscapes, and thus be instrumental for reconstructing past environments—both in theory (scientific research) and practice (rehabilitation projects). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Konvektív viharok gyakran eredményeznek hirtelen levonuló árvizeket, amelyek komoly veszéllyel fenyegetik a vízgyűjtő településeit. Az ilyen típusú árvizek néhány órás előrejelzése nem csak a csapadék, hanem a domborzat, a talajok és a felszínhasználat nagy térbeli heterogenitása miatt is különösen nehéz feladat. A megfelelő előrejelzés egyik módja a numerikus modellek használata. A jelen munka célja a talajnedvesség és talajvastagság hatásának vizsgálata a Pósa-völgyi mintavízgyűjtő lefolyási viszonyaira a Hydrologic Engineering Center, Hydrologic Modeling System HEC-HMS lefolyási modell segítségével. A Sás-patak (Bükkösdi-víz vízrendszere, Ny-Mecsek) vízhozam-mérései alapján megfigyelt két árhullámot a HEC-HMS lefolyási modellel reprodukáltuk. Ez utóbbi modellfuttatás esetében a környezeti paraméterek jelentős részét mért terepi adatokkal kalibráltuk. A legpontosabb modelleredmények eléréséhez ezért mértük a talajvastagságot, a talajnedvességet, a maximális beszivárgási sebességet, a csapadékot és a vízhozamot, valamint számoltuk az összegyülekezési időt a csapadékintenzitás függvényében. A modellfuttatások azt mutatják, hogy a terepen mért talajvastagság értékek csak kis mértékben változtatják meg a becsült lefolyás nagyságát. Eredményeink szerint 24 cm víztározás felett (porozitástól függően kb. 50 cm vastagságú ásványi talajok esetében) pedig a modell szerint a talajvastagság alig van hatással a lefolyásra. A HEC-HMS modellfuttatások egészen kis talajnedvesség- különbségek esetén is nagyon eltérő tetőző vízhozam (Qmax) és kumulatív kifolyó vízmennyiség értékeket szolgáltattak, azaz a program rendkívül érzékeny erre a környezetei peremfeltételre. Emiatt egy nagy térbeli felbontású talajnedvesség és hidrometeorológiai monitoring hálózat elengedhetetlen feltétele egy operatív villámárvíz előrejelző rendszernek.

Floodway delineation, zoning and hydrodynamic modelling for a section of the Drava River was carried out with MIKE 21 software at a one-time input flood pulse of 3000 m3s-1 discharge. The objective of the current study was the delineation and mapping of floodway zones in the form of a set of georeferenced GIS data for the section between Őrtilos (river kilometer 236 km) and Drávaszabolcs (70.2 km). Zonation was based on water velocities. Four zones were delineated upstream Barcs, and three between Barcs and Drávaszabolcs, where, due to the confined floodplain downstream Barcs, no stagnant water area was identified. Specific velocities ranged between 0.089 and 3.476 m2s-1 and 0.075 and 2.01 m2s-1 upstream and downstream Barcs, respectively, markedly lower than stated in the Government Decree (0.2 to 6.0 m2s-1). The primary and secondary conveyance zones covered a combined area of about 40% of the entire floodplain, while the remaining 60% included both the transitional and stagnant water zones upstream Barcs and solely the transitional zone downstream Barcs. Our analyses help to mitigate the effects of flood peaks and provide information for decision makers and local stakeholders on flood management tasks.

International audience; Many nature reserves and protected areas are found in the Southern Transdanubian Region (SW Hungary) and they partlybelong to the operational area of the Duna-Dráva National Park (DDNP). In the current paper we review the potential geohazardsthat may affect the area. Our results indicate that the predominant geohazards include large riverine floods on the alluvial plains,while a high-degree of vulnerability is generated owing to the high relief. High relief may trigger intense runoff following intenserainfall events and downpours, where consequences, such as flash floods, mass movements and soil erosion may result in variousdisasters and catastrophes. Nonetheless, since the definition of catastrophes is human-oriented, the direct consequences ofdisasters may act as positive and beneficial processes in uninhabited natural environments.; Beaucoup de réserves naturelles et de zones protégées sont répertoriées dans la région de Transdanubie méridionale (sudouestde la Hongrie), dont une partie appartient au Parc National Duna-Dráva (DDNP). Cet article présente une étude desrisques géomorphologiques potentiels pouvant affecter cette région. Les résultats montrent que les grandes crues fluviales dansles plaines alluviales représentent les principaux risques impactant la Transdanubie méridionale, risques aggravés par un hautdegré de vulnérabilité généré par d’importants reliefs et de fortes pentes. Ces forts ruissellements, faisant suite à des événementsmétéorologiques intenses, provoquent les inondations brutales et soudaines, des mouvements de masse et l’érosion du sol pouvantentraîner de nombreuses catastrophes. Néanmoins, bien que la notion de catastrophe soit lié à la vulnérabilité des sociétéshumaines, les conséquences directes de ces évènements revêtent un caractère bénéfique au fonctionnement des milieux naturelsde cette région de Hongrie, faiblement peuplés voire inhabités.; A Dél-Dunántúlon változatot természeti környezetében számos védett terület található, amelyek egyrészt a DDNPigazgatóságához tartoznak, másrészt egyéb védettséget élveznek. Cikkünkben áttekintettük a védett területeket érintő természetiveszélyeket és megállapítottuk, hogy ezek közül a sík területeken futó folyóink áradásai okozzák a legnagyobb károkat. A hegységiés dombsági felszíneken a nagy relatív relief és az ebből következő hirtelen lefolyás (hirtelen áradás), a csuszamlások, valaminta talajerzió a sérülékenység fő okai. A természeti veszélyforrásokat a védett területeken természeti folyamatként értelmezhetjük,amely az élővilág megújulását is elősegítheti.

A sufficiently detailed floodplain typology is assumed to be useful in the estimation of local flood risk, planning flood control and river restoration measures and for the survey of landscape ecological patterns. Although floodplains are defined by a range of hydrological, geomorphological and geoecological criteria, floodplain classification should start with geomorphometric characterization of stream channels and floodplains in a valley setting. The study areas selected for the geomorphometric analyses are two representative catchments in the hill regions of Southwest-Hungary: the Kapos River, a river of medium size by Hungarian standards (a tributary of the Sio Canal and of the Danube), and a small tributary in the Drava River system, the Bukkosd Stream. For the delimitation and characterization of their floodplains Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), archive military surveys, and topographic maps have been used. The diagnostic parameters selected for the classification are floodplain width, floodplain (or valley floor) slope, valley confinement (expressed by a longitudinal profile index, LPI), channel sinuosity (indicating river mechanism), and valley depth. They have been analyzed in relationship with the distribution of tributary confluences along the river longitudinal profile. Currently, a large majority of watercourses in the region are channelized and some are dammed for fish-ponds, but the present-day floodplains had been built earlier by seminatural streams. Therefore, the classification is based on pre-regulation floodplain conditions (reconstructed from archive sources), which should be target conditions for any future management or restoration efforts. A visual comparison of the distribution of floodplain parameter values along the longitudinal profile shows that the LPI index is a useful tool for the characterization of the floodplain segments. The floodplain types are classified as 1) no floodplain (LPI values are > 0.25, mostly > 0.5); 2) gradually broadening floodplain (LPI is between 0.1 and 0.25); 3) partially confined floodplain (LPI ranging between 0.05 and 0.1) and 4) mostly unconfined floodplain with bottleneck reaches (LPI fluctuating more widely, from 0.05 to 0.25).

Neotectonic movements often result in marked large-scale asymmetry of river valleys. The characteristically rectangular (“chequerboard”) drainage pattern of Southern Trandanubia has provoked discussions among Hungarian geologists and geomorphologists for more than a century. In the centre of this area is the Kapos River valley, the asymmetry of which is obvious to any visitor. Although this asymmetry has been undoubtedly controlled by neotectonic movements to a large extent, it is probably also enhanced by geomorphic processes. The degree and distribution of asymmetry is quantified using different morphometric indices calculated from a Digital Elevation Model. An overview of the tectonic models proposed to identify the reasons behind asymmetry in the study area is also presented. It is pointed out that the asymmetry is associated with the alignment of two tectonic lines crossing the catchment and also manifested in the planform of the valley floor (i.e. in the shape of the morphological floodplain).

Flash floods are one of the most significant natural hazards of today. Due to the complexity of flash flood triggering factors, to prevent or mitigate flood triggered losses, numeric model based flood forecasting models are capable tools to predict stream water levels. The main goal of the current research was to reproduce two flow peaks with the HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model and test the model sensitivity for various input parameters. To obtain sufficient input data, we monitored soil depth, maximum infiltration rate, soil moisture content, rainfall, time of concentration and flow. To obtain input data, parameters were calculated, measured in the Sás Valley experimental watershed (SW Hungary) or optimized with the built in function of the HEC-HMS. Soil moisture was monitored in the 1.7 km2 pilot catchment over the period between September 2008 and September 2009. HEC-HMS had a good performance reproducing the two events, however simulated flow time series are highly influenced by the antecedent soil moisture, infiltration rate and canopy storage. Outflow modeled data were verified for two flood events (June 4, 2008 and July 9, 2009). The HEC-HMS was over-sensitive for input soil moisture and with increasing input rainfall and increasing outflow, larger simulation errors were observed.

The 15–18 May 2010 flood events on the watershed of the Bukkosd Stream, SW Hungary, are described, their general topographic and hydrologic characteristics are analyzed using the HEC-HMS numeric runoff model, and geomorphological impacts are surveyed. In addition to extreme rainfall volumes, the major reasons found to contribute to extreme impoundment were the fluctuating and locally reduced width of the valley, the confluence of tributaries, which create intermittent bottlenecks for drainage, and high soil moisture contents, which also caused slope instability in deeper soil mantle. Flash flood hazard is closely associated with landslide hazard in upland valleys.

En raison de la suburbanisation et de la diminution des secteurs restés naturels et des surfaces de sols perméables, l’augmentation du ruissellement superficiel et des inondations dites urbaines, déclenchés par les pluies, est souvent à l’origine de pertes non négligeables de biens et peut même menacer des vies humaines. Ces phénomènes sont étudiés dans le bassin-versant du Bükkösd, au sud-ouest de la Hongrie, en utilisant les bases de données concernant la topographie, l’hydrologie de surface et l’utilisation du sol. Les villages de Bükkösd et d’Hetvehely, intégrés dans l’agglomération de Pécs, ont été affectés plusieurs fois par les inondations de la rivière, depuis que l’on dispose d’observations régulières. Pour tenter de réduire les pertes économiques envisageables, l’objectif de cette étude était de mettre au point une méthode rapide de délimitation de l’extension des zones inondables à 1 m, 5 m et 10 m au-dessus du lit de la rivière (cartographie des inondations basée sur la dénivellation, VDBIM). Au total, les zones submergées dans la plaine d’inondation de la rivière Bükkösd couvriraient respectivement 102 ha, 151 ha et 178 ha pour des hauteurs d’eau de 1 m, 5 m et 10 m. En raison de l’étroitesse des vallées en amont du bassin-versant, la surface totale inondable dans ces vallées n’augmente que dans un rapport de 1 à 1,75 quand la hauteur d’eau passe de 1 m à 10 m. Les zones impactées comprennent des quartiers résidentiels, des voies de transport (principalement la voie ferrée), des zones industrielles et des équipements agroalimentaires. Le phénomène d’inondation brutale est une menace sérieuse pour la voie ferrée, axe de transport d’importance stratégique entre Pecs et la capitale. As a consequence of the process of suburbanisation and the decrease of natural landscapes and permeable soil surfaces, rainfall-triggered, increased surface runoff and so-called urban floods are often causes significant loss in human properties and may pose a threat to human lives. Such processes are studied for the Bükkösd Stream catchment, SW Hungary using the topographical, surface water, and land use databases. The villages of Bükkösd and Hetvehely, as part of the Pécs agglomeration, have been impounded by floodwaters several times since regular observations began. To mitigate future economic losses, the objective of the present study was to carry out a rapid method (vertical distance based inundation mapping, VDBIM) to delineate the extent of impounded areas at 1 m, 5 m and 10 m above the actual riverbed. Total inundated areas in the floodplain of the Bükkösd Stream cover 102 ha, 151 ha and 178 ha at water depths of 1 m, 5 m and 10 m, respectively. Due to the narrow valleys in the headwater section of the catchment, the combined area of the flooded valleys was only 1.75 larger at 10-m water depth than at 1-m impoundment. Impounded areas include residential areas, transport routes (primarily the railway), industrial estates, and agricultural and food processing facilities. Flash floods pose a significant threat to railway embankments as this strategic-importance railroad connects Pécs with the national capital.