STUDY DESIGN
This GIS project analysis will aim to predict which areas of Metro Vancouver will be affected by flooding due to sea level rise. Sea level has been rising over the last century and there have been many studies done to prove that it is accelerating at much higher rates than it did historically. Being a resident of a coastal city, I find it useful to study this topic in order to be informed of the potential unsafe places to live within the city. It is a really important topic because Metro Vancouver is located along the south western coast of British Columbia and will encounter the effects of global sea level rise over the next few centuries.
The regions of Metro Vancouver that are most likely to be affected by sea level rise are low lying areas. This includes areas such as the floodplains of the Fraser River, as well as, at the mouths of rivers such as the Coquitlam, Chilliwack, Seymour and Capilano Rivers.
In this project I will define the potential areas of flooding by using a data elevation model and a landuse raster data set of Metro Vancouver. I will use ArcMap and IDRISI to perform a spatial analysis of the zones and populations affected by a 1 meter, 2 meter, and 10 meter increase in sea level.