Estimating Annual Flow Frequency Function Using HEC-HMS and GIS: A Case Study Mula River in Jhal Magsi, East Balochistan

Authors

  • Penha Tahir Research Associate, Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) Lab, National Center of GIS and Space Applications (NCGSA), Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
  • Dr. Mujtaba Hassan Associate Professor, Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • Niamat Ullah Research Associate, Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) Lab, National Center of GIS and Space Applications (NCGSA), Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
  • Shafi Ullah Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Engineering, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2025.4a105

Keywords:

GIS, Hydrology, Flash Flooding, HEC-GeoHMS, HEC-HMS

Abstract

Water is a basic necessity for life, and it is the most abundant natural resource on our planet. Its usefulness is vast and at times becomes hazardous when not properly managed. Balochistan is a region suffering from extreme events of flood and drought conditions. The study area, Jhal Magsi, located in central Balochistan, Pakistan, is one of the most vulnerable regions to flash flooding. The SRTM DEM for Jhal Magsi was used in HEC-GeoHMS, an ArcGIS extension for terrain pre-processing, basin processing, and catchment delineation. Hydrological models are used to simulate the impact of climate on water resources. Integrating Remote Sensing abilities and Geographic Information System techniques with the hydrological modeling approach is very useful to understand problems and enhance the methods of investigation for better decision making.  Based on the results of the watershed delineation, this analysis identified the basin characteristics, estimated rainfall distributions. HEC-DSS is used to store and retrieve data to give input to HEC-HMS for flood frequency studies and AEP calculations. The tabular results consist of three tables. The frequency curve shows the percent chance of exceedance ordinates. The expected probability frequency curve is between a 5% and 10% chance of exceedance confidence limit of the observed values. Calibration and validation had been done, and statistical analysis as well.  The graphical results show outliers to predict extreme events, which are expected once in the coming 50 years. The research will be helpful for hydrological modeling and future prediction in the data-sparse regions of Balochistan for damage reduction studies using HEC-RAS.

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Published

2025-03-30

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How to Cite

Tahir, P., Hassan, M., Ullah, N., & Ullah, S. (2025). Estimating Annual Flow Frequency Function Using HEC-HMS and GIS: A Case Study Mula River in Jhal Magsi, East Balochistan. Journal of Regional Studies Review, 4(1), 562-579. https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2025.4a105