Comparison and evolution of satellite-based precipitation product for flood-prone Kunhar River basin, KPK,  Pakistan

Abstract Floods are one of the major natural hazards affecting the northern regions of Pakistan. Kunhar River basin lies in the northern territory of Pakistan and is highly vulnerable to flooding due to its steep terrain and heavy monsoon rainfall. Reliable precipitation data is essential for accurate hydrological modeling and flood forecasting. However, ground-based rainfall observations are often limited, making satellite-based precipitation products an important alternative. This study focuses on the comparison and evaluation of different satellite-based precipitation datasets for their suitability in the hydrological modeling of the flood-prone Kunhar River basin. Several global products such as Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) analyzed and compared with available ground station data. The selected precipitation datasets were applied in the Hydrologic Engineering Center - Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) hydrological model to evaluate their role in simulating rainfall–runoff processes. Statistical performance indicators including correlation, bias, Root Mean Square Error, and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency were used to assess their accuracy. Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM mission was the most suitable satellite-based precipitation product for enhancing flood prediction and water resource management in the Kunhar River basin, KPK, Pakistan.