Flooded Areas’ Monitoring Under the Kakhovka Dam Based on Machine Learning and Satellite Data

This study analyzed the flooding under the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine using satellite remote sensing data after the dam was destroyed on June 6, 2023. Maps of the water bodies were created before and after the flooding disaster using Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-9 imagery. A random forest classifier was used to map the flooded areas. As of June 9, 2023, the total flooded area below the Kakhovka Dam was 47,330 hectares, impacting agricultural lands, forests, grasslands and human settlements. The flooding also affected areas along the Ingulets River, leading to inundation of croplands located close to the river banks which could impact water quality. The disappearance of water canals that were used for irrigation of croplands is also analyzed, showing the far-reaching agricultural impacts of this flooding event. This study demonstrates the utility of satellite remote sensing for rapid monitoring and quantification of the impacts from dam failure flooding disasters.