Effects of Caspian Sea water level fluctuations on existing drains

This study is an attempt to develop an integrated methodology to predict the impact of the Caspian Sea on flooding using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and hydrodynamic modeling. A rise in the sea level might lead to major flooding events, and have a severe impact on the spatial development of cities and regions. The feasibility of simulating a flood event along a drain channel is evaluated near residential development areas along the Chapakroud drain. The results of the study show that about 2 km of the drain embankments would be influenced by changes in sea water levels. For elevations of -23 m and -24 m, the maximum depths of water in the drain are 3.95 m and 2.94 m. The tail of the backwater reaches 3465 m and 2390 m, respectively, leading to flooded areas of 35.97 ha and 12.88 ha. The study shows that at these elevations environmental and social problems arise with regards to the drain. The results also indicate that GIS is an effective tool for floodplain visualization and analysis. It should be noted that the mixture of salt and soft water, as a result of rising sea water level, is a problem that was not investigated in this study and should be examined in the future.