Identifying surface impoundments on LiDAR generated DEMs to identify dengue prone areas

It has long been known that stagnant water is the one of the main reasons for the dissemination of the dengue virus, since it serves as the breeding area for the suspect mosquitoes. Armed with the knowledge of possible... [ view full abstract ]

It has long been known that stagnant water is the one of the main reasons for the dissemination of the dengue virus, since it serves as the breeding area for the suspect mosquitoes. Armed with the knowledge of possible impoundments for stagnant water to remain after a flood or a rainy season, communities can be warned to siphon water to prevent another outbreak of the disease. This study uses a LiDAR generated DEM, Land Use, and Land Cover data and GIS Tools to create a flood map. Surface impoundments that are affected by the flood are identified through the generated flood extent and are set apart from the river due to its remote locations. Dengue case validation is made by using a clustering tool to identify dengue outbreak hotspots in the area. According to the statistical analysis from the correlation between the generated surface inundations and dengue outbreak hostpots, the hypothesis that there is in fact dengue cases near these areas are correct with a certain degree of magnitude. It is believed that with the surface impoundments near the residential areas dengue outbreak will occur after a flood event or during the rainy season and it is recommended that communities with such surface impoundments prepare for such circumstances from happening.