Impact of Climate Change on Flash Floods Using Hydrological Modelling and GIS: Case Study Zarqa Ma’in Area

Jordan is located in an arid zone that is subject to flash flood hazard initiated by heavy rainfall storms that frequently prompt massive damage to life and infrastructure. The Zarqa Ma'in catchment area is located in the central part of Jordan, East of the Dead Sea and about 10 km southwest of Madaba city. A major flash flood event occurred in the Zarqa Ma'in area on October 25th, 2018. This event was characterized by a rainfall precipitation amount of 43 mm within 22 minutes. The impact of this flood has been disastrous, with 21 people killed and several injured. This study deals with the analysis of the various factors that caused this flash flood as well as calculation of runoff values for Zarqa Ma'in catchment area through the use of the hydrologic modeling Soil Conservation Services (SCS) method, A method that is often used by hydrologists in arid regions and Watershed Modeling System model (WMS 11) and Geographic Information System (GIS 10.7).