Assessment of Landslide Susceptibility Map in the Jaintia Hill District Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Landslides, a naturally occurring geological phenomenon, significantly threaten public safety, infrastructure, and the environment. Identifying the landslide-prone areas is essential for efficient risk mitigation and land-use planning. The main reason for concern about landslides is their potential to have disastrous effects, including property damage and casualties. Usually, landslides happen when a slope's stability fails due to natural or man-made causes like intense rain, earthquakes, etc. An area which are susceptible to landslide must be identified to prepare for disasters and take proactive mitigation measures. This study aims to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) and the weighted overlay method to create a landslip susceptibility map for the Jaintia Hills district. The main issue regarding landslide susceptibility involves three key factors: firstly, the inadequate knowledge of the geographic layout of areas vulnerable to landslides; secondly, the lack of a uniform strategy for evaluating landslide susceptibility; and thirdly, the immediate need for reliable resources to assist in land-use planning and development, to minimising the risk associated with landslides. The present study uses remote sensing and GIS techniques to address this challenge. It applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) weighted overlay technique in GIS, incorporating eight thematic layers: elevation layer, drainage density (DD), land use/land cover (LULC), soil type, slope layer, aspect layer, geography, lineament density (LD), and geomorphology. The thematic layers are carefully selected to capture various factors influencing landslide occurrence, ensuring a robust and accurate susceptibility assessment. The AHP incorporates expert knowledge to allocate weights to each thematic layer using pairwise comparison. The overlay process combines these layers to generate a comprehensive map reflecting the potential zones of landslides in the Jaintia Hills district. The results reveal a detailed landslide susceptibility map for the Jaintia districts, highlighting areas prone to landslides. It reveals that approximately 11634 hectares are in the high landslide occurrence zone, and 52849 hectares are in the medium zone. The map compared with locations where the landslides occurred in the past and found that most of the points lie in the high-prone zone for landslides, which shows the significant accuracy of the prepared map. However, prepared map will provide valuable insights for land-use planning and risk mitigation strategies, aiding decision-makers in developing sustainable policies to safeguard both human lives and the environment in the Jaintia Hills region.

Keywords – Landslide Susceptibility, GIS, Remote sensing, Natural Hazards, AHP weighted overlay method