Assessing Urban Flooding and Vegetation Impact in Dubai Creek Following the April 2024 Extreme Rainfall

Abstract. During April 2024, the United Arab Emirates experienced an unusual phenomenon of an intense rainfall episode between April 14 and 18 that resulted in massive flooding in urban environments, particularly low-lying areas such as Dubai Creek. As a tidal waterway with dense urban development and environmentally sensitive zones surrounding it, Dubai Creek is an ideal site for assessing environmental changes caused by to floods. The study employed pre-flood (14 April) and post-flood (18 April) high-resolution PlanetScope satellite images, in combination with QGIS analysis, to evaluate vegetation health and surface water changes. Quantification of affected areas from flooding was achieved through using the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), where the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was applied in assessing the stress and damage on vegetation. Results showed minimum water presence before the flood, and post-flood NDWI showed extensive water coverage on roads, parks, and vacant land with difference values being mostly between +0.2 and +0.4. NDVI analysis exhibited severe vegetation loss near the creek, with difference values greatly varying from −0.1 to −0.3, indicating submersion and stress. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of integrating high-resolution satellite imagery with remote sensing indices in monitoring impacts of floods, showing the significance of continuous environmental monitoring and improved flood management in urban planning.