Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River

Flooding, intensified by climate change, urbanization, and unsustainable land use, presents a significant danger to riverine communities, especially in Southeast Asia. This study analyzes flood dynamics along the Xekaman River in Attapeu Province, Laos, employing the empirical Froude number (EFR) an...

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Main Authors: Ketsana PHOMMAVONG, Jianguo YAN, Chikondi CHISENGA, Shoukat Ali SHAH
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: World Scientific Publishing 2025-06-01
Series:Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies
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Online Access:https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S2345748125500137
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author Ketsana PHOMMAVONG
Jianguo YAN
Chikondi CHISENGA
Shoukat Ali SHAH
author_facet Ketsana PHOMMAVONG
Jianguo YAN
Chikondi CHISENGA
Shoukat Ali SHAH
author_sort Ketsana PHOMMAVONG
collection DOAJ
description Flooding, intensified by climate change, urbanization, and unsustainable land use, presents a significant danger to riverine communities, especially in Southeast Asia. This study analyzes flood dynamics along the Xekaman River in Attapeu Province, Laos, employing the empirical Froude number (EFR) and physically based Froude number (PBF) models, in conjunction with Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), to evaluate river flow and flood risk over 72[Formula: see text]h in 2022. The EFR model achieves a peak flow velocity of 15[Formula: see text]m/s at 12[Formula: see text]h, whereas the PBF model reaches 10.96[Formula: see text]m/s. At 72[Formula: see text]h, peak velocities increase to 75 and 109.97[Formula: see text]m/s, respectively, demonstrating substantial disparities in flow conditions. The EFR model offers a wider distribution of flood risk, while the PBF model delivers a more accurate representation of extreme flood events. HEC-RAS improves analysis by providing comprehensive floodplain delineation, variations in water depth, and distribution of flow velocity, thereby enhancing the spatial precision of flood risk evaluations. These findings highlight the necessity of incorporating various modeling methods to enhance flood risk assessments and monitoring, and optimize mitigation initiatives in flood-prone areas.
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spelling doaj-art-4c6b5bd5d9fc42b1b29d65062be4c3c82025-08-20T02:41:03ZengWorld Scientific PublishingChinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies2345-74812345-752X2025-06-01130210.1142/S2345748125500137Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman RiverKetsana PHOMMAVONG0Jianguo YAN1Chikondi CHISENGA2Shoukat Ali SHAH3State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Box 129, Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, P. R. ChinaState Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. ChinaFlooding, intensified by climate change, urbanization, and unsustainable land use, presents a significant danger to riverine communities, especially in Southeast Asia. This study analyzes flood dynamics along the Xekaman River in Attapeu Province, Laos, employing the empirical Froude number (EFR) and physically based Froude number (PBF) models, in conjunction with Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), to evaluate river flow and flood risk over 72[Formula: see text]h in 2022. The EFR model achieves a peak flow velocity of 15[Formula: see text]m/s at 12[Formula: see text]h, whereas the PBF model reaches 10.96[Formula: see text]m/s. At 72[Formula: see text]h, peak velocities increase to 75 and 109.97[Formula: see text]m/s, respectively, demonstrating substantial disparities in flow conditions. The EFR model offers a wider distribution of flood risk, while the PBF model delivers a more accurate representation of extreme flood events. HEC-RAS improves analysis by providing comprehensive floodplain delineation, variations in water depth, and distribution of flow velocity, thereby enhancing the spatial precision of flood risk evaluations. These findings highlight the necessity of incorporating various modeling methods to enhance flood risk assessments and monitoring, and optimize mitigation initiatives in flood-prone areas.https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S2345748125500137Flood risk assessmentHEC-RAS modelingFroude numberflow velocityclimate change
spellingShingle Ketsana PHOMMAVONG
Jianguo YAN
Chikondi CHISENGA
Shoukat Ali SHAH
Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River
Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies
Flood risk assessment
HEC-RAS modeling
Froude number
flow velocity
climate change
title Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River
title_full Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River
title_fullStr Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River
title_full_unstemmed Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River
title_short Assessing Flood Risk Dynamics in Southern Laos: A Comparative Analysis of HEC-RAS, Empirical and Physically Based Froude Number Models along the Xekaman River
title_sort assessing flood risk dynamics in southern laos a comparative analysis of hec ras empirical and physically based froude number models along the xekaman river
topic Flood risk assessment
HEC-RAS modeling
Froude number
flow velocity
climate change
url https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S2345748125500137
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