Flood analysis in the çoruh river basin

In this thesis, the flood characteristics of the Coruh River located in the northeast of Türkiye were investigated by statistical methods. In the study, annual maximum flow data obtained from DSI were used; 23 flow observation stations that were not under the influence of dams and had at least 10 years of observation period were evaluated. Statistical moments, L-moments and coefficients derived from these moments were calculated for each station and the structure of the flow data was analyzed in detail. Then, different probability distributions such as Gumbel, Generalized Extreme Value (GEV), Normal (N), Log-Normal (LN), Log Normal III (LN3) and Log Pearson Type III were applied and the suitability of each distribution to the data was tested with Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Chi-Square tests. Flood flow rates were estimated for 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 year return periods according to the appropriate distributions. In addition, the seasonal timing of floods was assessed and the impact of climatic variability in the region was examined. Flood analysis contributes directly to disaster risk reduction by providing an estimate of the magnitude of possible floods. The importance of these analyses becomes even more evident when the loss of life and property, damage to infrastructure systems and economic losses caused by floods are considered. Accurate flood forecasts play a critical role in the safe planning of settlements and the development of disaster management strategies. In addition, changes in flood timing provide important clues for understanding the effects of climate change at the local scale. Therefore, detailed and multidimensional analysis of flood characteristics is a fundamental approach that contributes to both understanding regional hydrological behavior and ensuring sustainable water resources management. The research findings show that comprehensive analyses conducted with different probability distributions in the assessment of flood characteristics allow for a more accurate interpretation of regional hydrological behavior. The obtained results enable scientifically based estimates of flood hazard and provide a strategic basis for planned management of water resources.