GIS application in landslide susceptibility mapping of Indian Himalayas

Abstract

The landslide susceptibility zonation maps provide an assessment of the safety of existing habitations and infrastructural elements. This in turn helps to plan further developmental activities in mountainous regions. GIS has been proved to be an integral part of landslide studies in recent times. Besides mapping landslides based on field investigation and remote sensing image interpretation to create a landslide database, GIS has been established as an indispensable tool for preparing various thematic data layers pertaining to landslide causative factors by using field-based data, digitally interpreted remote sensing data and through spatial and 3D analysis of terrain data. These thematic data layers are spatially integrated using arithmetic and weighted overlay statistical techniques on GIS platform to prepare landslide susceptibility maps. CSIR-CBRI has carried out landslide susceptibility mapping of different parts of the Himalayas by employing different techniques such as expert opinion-based approach, field-based rating criteria, statistical approach, and ANN and fuzzy concept-based approaches, in which GIS and remote sensing has extensively been used. The present paper illustrates a broad methodology employed for mapping of landslide susceptibility in GIS environment.