Gaza Coastal Flood Risk Assessment with IDP Population Counts

UNITAR-UNOSAT analysis maps sea surge risk and flood impact in the Gaza Strip coastal area using Sentinel-2 and Pleiades imagery from July and August 2025. The dataset identifies 350 internally displaced persons in high-risk zones within 20 meters of the highest observed watermark and 1,252 IDPs within 50 meters. It is a preliminary analysis focusing on the area west of Al Rashid Road, where a high density of tents is located in a flood-prone zone.

Use Cases

• Assess flood exposure for internally displaced persons using the 'highest observed watermark' and 'IDPs in high-risk areas' metrics.
• Model coastal inundation scenarios by analyzing the 'current shoreline' and 'highest observed watermark' features from satellite imagery.
• Prioritize humanitarian aid delivery by mapping 'IDPs in risk areas' against the identified flood-prone geographic area west of Al Rashid Road.

Strengths

• Provides specific population counts for risk assessment, identifying 350 IDPs in high-risk and 1,252 IDPs in risk areas.
• Derived from authoritative satellite imagery sources: Sentinel-2 (28 July 2025) and Pleiades (29 August 2025).
• Focuses on a defined, critical area with a very high density of tents in a flood-prone coastal zone.

Limitations

• Analysis is preliminary and has not been validated with ground truth data, potentially affecting accuracy.
• Geographic scope is limited to the coastal area of Gaza city, specifically west of Al Rashid Road.
• Data represents a snapshot from specific dates in 2025 and may not reflect current or seasonal conditions.

Provenance

Source

United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).

Collection Method

Derived from analysis of Sentinel-2 and Pleiades satellite imagery.

Time Range

Imagery acquired on 28 July 2025 and 29 August 2025.

Freshness

Last updated on the platform in March 2026, based on imagery from July-August 2025.

Geography

Coastal area of Gaza city, Occupied Palestinian Territory, specifically west of Al Rashid Road.