Coastal Flood Risk Assessment for Southern Gaza Strip Tents

UNOSAT analysis identifies 2,367 shelters within 20 meters and 3,631 shelters within 50 meters of the highest observed watermark in the Southern Gaza Strip. The map illustrates shoreline and flood risk derived from Sentinel-2 and Pleiades satellite imagery acquired in July and August 2025. This preliminary analysis focuses on a high-density tent area west of Al Rashid Road prone to flooding from high tides or storm surges.

Use Cases

• Identify shelters within 20 meters of the highest observed watermark for targeted flood risk mitigation.
• Analyze spatial distribution of 3,631 shelters in risk areas relative to the current shoreline for evacuation planning.
• Assess flood impact on high-density tent areas using derived satellite imagery from specific acquisition dates.
• Model potential inundation zones for storm surges based on the highest observed watermark and coastal geography.

Strengths

• Quantifies 5,998 total shelters/tents in identified flood risk zones.
• Derived from specific satellite imagery sources (Sentinel-2, Pleiades) with acquisition dates provided.
• Geospatial data provided in GEODATABASE and SHP formats suitable for GIS analysis.
• Analysis focuses on a defined high-risk area west of Al Rashid Road.

Limitations

• Preliminary analysis not validated by ground truth, potentially containing inaccuracies.
• Limited temporal scope to imagery from two dates in July and August 2025.
• Geographic scope is restricted to a specific coastal area of the Southern Gaza Strip.

Provenance

Source

United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).

Collection Method

Derived from satellite imagery (Sentinel-2 from 28 July 2025, Pleiades from 29 August 2025).

Time Range

Imagery from July and August 2025; analysis as of 29 August 2025.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026, based on August 2025 imagery.

Geography

Coastal area of the Southern Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territory, specifically west of Al Rashid Road.