APPLICATION OF GIS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF FLOOD RISK IN THE REGION ZENICA - DOBOJ CANTON
Flood represents a temporary cover of water that submerges land, usually not covered by water, which is caused by water overflowing the watercourses. The floods that occur in the area of Zenica-Doboj Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina cause massive damage to agriculture, housing, equipment and civil engineering facilities and can be characterized as hazards. The hydrographic backbone of this Canton is the river Bosna, and the subject of research in this paper is the flood vulnerability in Zenica-Doboj Canton. The result of the work is the production of flood hazard and risk maps using GIS. Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial analysis and visual elements have been used frequently in recent years for detection of flood hazard areas and preparation of maps. GIS applications are based on a database and analysis tools which have logical and mathematical relationships between the layers. When creating the flood hazard map, in addition to GIS tools, Hec-RAS was also used as a program intended for the analysis of hydraulic calculations. The results of this paper are of great importance for spatial planning and environmental protection, starting with local communities, municipalities and the entire Canton. Key-words: Spatial analysis, the Bosnia River, Flood risk, GIS, Physical geography