Risk Analysis and Flood Hazard Assessment in the Hornád River Basin

Abstract

Abstract The paper focuses on assessing the effects of floods on selected components of the environment in the Hornád river basin: the impact of floods on population, water conditions, soil, fauna, flora and their habitats, structure and use of land and landscape, protected areas and their protection zones, the territorial system of ecological stability, urban complexes and land use, cultural and historical heritage, cultural values of an intangible nature, and archaeological and paleontological sites and important geological localities. The assessment was performed using the risk analysis method. The risk index was calculated by summing the products of probabilities and consequences for each impact of flooding on the components of the environment, and the total value of the risk index is 5.5 (average risk). The hazard index was determined by quantification of industrial sources of pollution in the river basin: each source of pollution was assigned a point score; the total hazard is represented by the sum of the points for these sources of pollution, and is equal to 19. The total risk index is then represented by the product of the risk and hazard indices, i.e. 104.5. This value indicates a low level of flood damage risk in the Hornád river basin.