Contribution of satellite data to flood risk mapping in Romania

Over recent years, river flooding occurred frequently in Romania affecting large areas of the country with significant economic and social impacts. The flood mapping based on satellite image data provides useful information for disaster monitoring and assessment. The paper presents the methods used for obtaining useful products for flood risk mapping like: land cover/land use maps, hydrographic network characteristics and water accumulations, maximum flood extend, flooded area classification, flood evolution, flood damage assessment. Apart from ground information on the occurrence and evolution of floods, data supplied by the satellite orbital platforms, in the optical and microwave spectral domains, with moderate and high spatial resolution, substantially contribute to determining the flood-prone areas. These products contribute to preventive consideration of flooding in land development and special planning in the flood-prone areas, and for optimizing the distribution of flood-related geo-information to end-users.