Prediction of Songhua River flood economic losses in Harbin based on GIS and RS

Prediction of inundation loss can provide important reference for flood control planning. Base on GIS, the digital elevation model was built, and the the submerged area of Harbin city was simulated under condition that the water level of Songhua River reached to 120.89 m by plane simulation method. The spatial information of urban land use and the spatial distribution of the socio-economic information in Harbin city were acquired by combining GIS with RS technology, and the direct and indirect economic losses were forecasted on agriculture, industry, tertiary industry, rural and urban housing and family wealth in the submerged area. The results showed that when the water level of Songhua River reached 120.89 m, the submerged area which including the Songbei area, Hulan area, Daowai area, Daoli area, Xiangfang area in Harbin would be 1 402 km2, and the total economic loss was 6.82 billion Yuan. Songbei was the most severe submerged area with biggest total economic loss especially on agriculture, industry, tertiary industry and rural residential family wealth. Daoli area and Daowai area had the most severe loss area with urban housing and family wealth, and their economic loss rate per unit area was also higher, so they were the focus of Harbin city for flood control. Hulan area and the Songbei area had the lowest rate of economic loss per unit area, so it could be considered as flood zoon. Spatial layout of parts of industrial land in Songbei area, Hulan area and Daowai area and parts of urban residential land in Daowai area, Daoli area and Xiangfang area was unreasonable.