Morphometric Analysis and Prioritization of Watersheds for Flash Floods Management in Wadi Arab Catchment, North Jordan

Objectives: Flash floods are among the most devastating natural disasters, costing lives and causing property damage. The aim of this study was to map the sub-basins that could be exposed to flooding in the Wadi Arab Basin (WAB) and to take necessary measures to mitigate flood risk disasters. Methods: This study utilized morphometric analyses to estimate the flash flood hazard in the WAB, employing a Geographic Information System (GIS). Morphometric analyses involved the measurement of basic, linear, shape, relief, and hypsometric integral parameters. Results: The WAB has been divided into seven sub-basins, which were prioritized for analysis. The results indicate that two sub-basins (SW2 and SW4) exhibit a very high susceptibility to flooding, covering approximately 22% of the basin's total area. Key morphometric parameters contributing to this susceptibility include stream order, basin length, stream lengths, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, elongation ratio, and relief indices. The study area is primarily composed of carbonate rocks, significantly influencing the basin's morphometric characteristics. Conclusions: The findings of this study align with those of other studies employing different approaches. These results can aid decision-makers in comprehending flood risk susceptibility in the study area and serve as guidance for competent authorities when initiating flood mitigation or artificial groundwater recharge measures.