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Abstract
After the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of the Orange
Free State had completed the development of a flood damage simulation model,
various problems were identified. The cost-effectiveness to implement the flood
damage simulation model (FLODSIM) in other flood prone areas, was the main
problem. Therefore it was decided to investigate alternative cost-effective methods of
compiling data bases for FLODSIM. Remote sensing was used as a starting point
and investigated as a possible method of collecting data. Because of the expensiveness
of satellite and radar images, limited funds and the cost-effectiveness of video remote
sensing and because video remote sensing has already been proved to be an effective
research mechanism in various fields of application (Vleck, 1983, Nixon et al., 1985
and Everitt et al., 1986 & 1989, as quoted by Marsh et al., 1990) it was decided only
to evaluate video remote sensing.
The main aim of this paper therefore is to evaluate video remote sensing as a costeffective,
operational method for determining the land-use pattern in irrigation areas
to calculate flood damages. After discussing video remote sensing, the total mean
annual flood damage for the research area will be calculated by using the land-use
data base compiled by video remote sensing techniques and compared with the
results of an in situ survey. Video remote sensing will also be evaluated as an
operational technique.