Integrating Geomorphological and Hydrological Insights for Flood Risk Assessment

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Hazards".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 429

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli, Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Interests: geomorphology; natural hazards; geographical information systems; morphodynamics; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli, Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Interests: geomorphology; natural hazards; GIS; sea level changes; palaeogeography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Driven by the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, land-use changes, and climate variability, flood risk is a growing global concern. Understanding the interplay between geomorphological processes and hydrological dynamics is critical for developing effective flood risk assessments and mitigation strategies. This Special Issue seeks to highlight interdisciplinary research that integrates geomorphological and hydrological perspectives in order to enhance our understanding of flood hazards. Contributions that explore innovative methods, case studies, modeling approaches, and the application of remote sensing and GIS tools are especially welcome. By bridging these scientific domains, this Special Issue aims to offer a more holistic and practical framework for flood risk management, applicable across diverse geographical contexts.

The following are topics of interest:

  • Fluvial geomorphology and floodplain dynamics;
  • Hydrological modeling and rainfall–runoff relationships;
  • Sediment transport and channel morphology;
  • Remote sensing and GIS applications in flood risk mapping;
  • Climate change impacts on flood regimes;
  • Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure for flood mitigation;
  • Integrated watershed and floodplain management;
  • Multi-hazard risk assessment frameworks;
  • Early warning systems and decision-support tools;
  • Case studies in urban and rural flood-prone areas.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Saitis Giannis
Dr. Anna Karkani
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • flood risk assessment
  • geomorphology
  • hydrology
  • sediment transport
  • floodplain dynamics
  • hydrological modeling
  • remote sensing
  • climate change
  • GIS
  • catchment management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 4201 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Geomorphological Changes of the Sabato River (Southern Italy)
by Francesca Martucci, Floriana Angelone, Edoardo G. D’Onofrio, Filippo Russo and Paolo Magliulo
Geosciences 2025, 15(8), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15080308 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 273
Abstract
Short-term channel adjustments are a research topic of great relevance in the framework of fluvial geomorphology, but studies on this topic have been quite scarce in Southern Italy, at least since the 2010s, notwithstanding the fact that this area is strongly representative of [...] Read more.
Short-term channel adjustments are a research topic of great relevance in the framework of fluvial geomorphology, but studies on this topic have been quite scarce in Southern Italy, at least since the 2010s, notwithstanding the fact that this area is strongly representative of a much wider morphoclimatic context, i.e., the Mediterranean area, which particularly suffers from the effects of current climate change. Currently, different interpretations still exist about the type and role of controlling factors, and a common morphoevolutionary trend is quite far from being defined; so, new case studies are needed. In this paper, the geomorphological changes experienced by the Sabato R. (Southern Italy) over a period of ~150 years were investigated. A reach-scale geomorphological analysis in a GIS environment of raster data, consisting of four topographic maps (from 1870, 1909, 1941 and 1955) and five sets of orthophotos (from 1998, 2004, 2008, 2011 and 2014), was carried out, integrated with field-surveyed data. Land-use changes, in-channel anthropic disturbances, floods and rainfall variations were selected as possible controlling factors. The study highlighted four morphoevolutionary phases of the studied river. Phase 1 (1870s–1910s) was characterized by a relative channel stability in terms of both mean width and pattern, while channel widening dominated during Phase 2 (1910s–1940s). In contrast, Phase 3 (1940s–1990s) was characterized by intense and diffuse narrowing. Finally, during Phase 4 (from the 1990s onward), an alternation in channel narrowing and flood-induced widening was detected. During all phases, changes in both channel pattern and riverbed elevation were less evident than those in channel width. Land-use changes and, later, floods, in addition to in-channel human disturbances at a local scale, were the main controlling factors. The obtained results have profound implications for rivers located outside Italy as well, as they provide new insights into the role played by the considered controlling factors in the geomorphological evolution of a typical Mediterranean river. Understanding this role is fundamental in regional-scale river management, hazard mitigation and environmental planning, as proved by the vast pre-existing scientific literature. Full article
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