AGIT Conference 2025

July 03, 2025

In July 2025, I had the opportunity to present part of my master’s thesis at the AGIT Conference 2025 in Salzburg! The short paper, titled “Assessment of flood susceptibility using AHP and remote sensing-derived products, a case study in Punjab, Pakistan”, represents about one-third of my thesis work. It focuses on integrating remote sensing and multi-criteria decision analysis to better understand flood hazards in the vulnerable province of Punjab.

Big thanks to my co-authors Vít Voženílek, Eike Behre, and especially Zahra Dabiri for their support and collaboration!

Abstract: Flood susceptibility mapping is a valuable approach for disaster risk management, especially in flood-risk regions such as Punjab, Pakistan. This study applies a multi-criteria decision analysis, using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and remote sensing-derived products in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment to assess flood susceptibility across the region. We selected seven flood indicators based on a literature review and weighed them by consulting expert knowledge. Two flood susceptibility maps were calculated, (1), a 30 m resolution raster, and (2), an aggregated map of administrative boundaries. The model was validated with historical flood events, derived via Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), to assess the model’s reliability. The findings revealed that 43.23% of the study area is at high and very-high flood susceptibility, especially low-lying areas characterized by proximity to riverbanks and flat slopes covered with cropland. The results can support policymakers and disaster management authorities in enhancing flood mitigation.

Check out the paper here: doi.org/10.25598/agit/2025-6