Open Access
Open access
Journal of Water and Climate Change

Sensitivity of flood-prone areas to extreme rainfall using AHP and fuzzy AHP: a case study of Boussellam and K'sob watersheds, Algeria

Morad Benaiche 1
, 
Elhadj Mokhtari 2
, 
Ali Berghout 2
, 
Brahim Abdelkebir 2, 3
, 
Bernard Engel 4
1
 
a Laboratory of City, Environment, Hydraulic and Sustainable Development, CEHSD, Faculty of Technology, University of M'sila, P.O. Box 160 Ichebilia, M'sila 28000, Algeria
2
 
b Laboratory of Water, Environment and Renewable Energies, Faculty of Technology, University of M'sila, P.O. Box 160 Ichebilia, M'sila 28000, Algeria
3
 
c Laboratoire de génie civil et d'hydraulique, Université 8 mai 1945 Guelma, Guelma, Algeria
4
 
d Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Publication type: Journal Article
Publication date: 2025-02-20
scimago Q2
SJR: 0.646
CiteScore: 4.8
Impact factor: 2.7
ISSN: 20402244, 24089354
Abstract
ABSTRACT

Mapping flood-prone areas’ sensitivity to extreme rainfall is crucial for disaster risk reduction. Using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP methods with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, including factors like slope, elevation, precipitation, land use, and vegetation indices, enhances disaster preparedness. This approach enables creating maps that support informed decision-making for community resilience. In this study, AHP and fuzzy AHP models were applied across different return periods (2, 5, 10, 100, and 1,000 years) and average annual rainfall, revealing that high-risk areas vary by model: the AHP model showed high susceptibility in 2.19–25.55% of the area, while the fuzzy AHP model identified 1.53–24.51% as very sensitive. These risks are concentrated in the low-slope zones of the Boussellam and K'sob watersheds, posing a threat to three out of four nearby cities for 100-year or longer events.

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