Floods and Countermeasures Impact Assessment for the Metro Colombo Canal System, Sri Lanka

A 15th-century canal system in the Metro Colombo area of Sri Lanka was studied to identify its capacity in controlling floods. The canal system was modelled by MIKE FLOOD for 10, 25 and 50-year return periods of rainfalls to achieve respective floods. The impacts of the considered rainfalls were analyzed considering the flood levels, inundation distributions and affected people. Two simulation scenarios which were based on the river boundary conditions were carried out in the study and they were categorized as favourable and least favorable. It was identified that under the existing conditions, the canal system could handle only a 10-year rainfall flood event under the favourable condition. Therefore, the canal system's sustainability for future anticipated extreme events is suspicious. To mitigate such floods, four countermeasures were introduced and their impacts were analyzed. When the countermeasures were introduced one at a time, the flood water levels were lowered locally and they were not up to the flood safety levels of the surrounding area. When all four countermeasures were introduced together, the flood water levels were significantly lowered below the flood safety levels for a 50-year design rainfall under the favourable condition. The reduction of the inundated area was significant in the case of applying all four countermeasures together. In that case, a 46% inundation area reduction and a 49% reduction in the number of affected people were achieved.