Flood Studies in India: A Brief Review

This paper provides a brief outline of the flood studies in India in the field of geomorphology, meteorology and hydrology. The review clearly shows that, though the general characteristics of floods have been known for a long time, our scientific understanding of the floods remains incomplete to a surprisingly large extent. Existing studies seem to concentrate in two areas. The first deals with hydrometeorological analysis of flood producing rainfall and associated synoptic conditions. The second area is related to streamflow analysis and the estimation of design floods. Both the research areas place considerable emphasis on statistical analysis and modelling. This trend is likely to continue in future. While a quantitative approach to the problem is indispensable in predictive models, it is felt that future opportunities to improve our understanding of this recurring natural hazard should include research into the natural trends and the behaviour of floods on longer time scale, and increased evaluation ofthe impact of anthropogenic activities on the river systems.