Flood Warning and Mitigation: The Critical Issues of Water Level Forecasting.

Abstract

Prediction of the pattern of water level is one of the bench mark in flood forecasting and analysis; this has become one of the most important issues in hydrological research. Water level is an essential component in the process of flood warning and mitigation strategies. This review revealed that water level study is an essential component in any purported flood warning and mitigation designed. Worthy of mentioning in the context is the need for effective water level forecasting. however, the development of any forecasting system is highly fraught with encumbrances like hysteresis in the stage hydro-graph due to random behaviour of river flow regime and uncertainty. Thus, within the general context of the discourse, the critical issues are the determination of appropriate forecast model, forecast lead time, and suitable water level for standby alarms and areal alert.