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Satellite-based tracking of reservoir operations for flood management during the 2018 extreme weather event in Kerala, India.

Satellite-based tracking of reservoir operations for flood management during the 2018 extreme weather event in Kerala, India.

Authors :
Suresh, Sarath
Hossain, Faisal
Minocha, Sanchit
Das, Pritam
Khan, Shahzaib
Lee, Hyongki
Andreadis, Konstantinos
Oddo, Perry
Source :
Remote Sensing of Environment. Jun2024, Vol. 307, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Uncoordinated management of hydropower dams during extreme and unexpected precipitation events in mountainous terrain can have disastrous consequences due to the competing nature of flood control and hydropower generation. Numerous cases of flooding events that have been exacerbated due to insufficient storage conditions in hydropower dams have been reported worldwide. There is a need for a scalable and publicly-accessible monitoring framework that is capable of providing reliable, near-real time, and transparent reservoir operations data. A fully satellite-based framework is the most viable solution to build such capability. The Reservoir Assessment Tool (RAT 3.0), which utilises high frequency remote sensing-based surface area and reservoir storage estimation alongside hydrological modelled inflow was applied here for the 2018 Kerala floods in India as a globally representative case for a mountainous river basin with high precipitation and hydropower dams. Application of satellite-based RAT 3.0 in monitoring the state of 19 reservoirs in Kerala during the flood event showed very promising results. In general, RAT 3.0, using satellite remote sensing, was found to be able to capture the temporal trend of the reservoir storage and pinpoint the sudden shift in filling or release decisions made by the dam operator. Inflow modelling in such regions was found to require careful calibration with identification of reservoirs that are heavily regulated being a critical aspect. The perennial high cloud cover in such regions necessitate and highlights the central role played by microwave and radar-based satellite sensors, such as the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, in tracking reservoir state. An operational version of RAT 3.0 for stakeholder agencies tailored for hydropower dams operating in high precipitation and mountainous environments is a real-world outcome of this study. • A satellite-based reservoir framework can monitor reservoirs effectively during extreme weather events. • Temporal trend of reservoir inflows and releases are captured accurately by satellite framework. • Uncertainties associated with satellite-based framework has to be addressed diligently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00344257
Volume :
307
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Remote Sensing of Environment
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
177032034
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114149