Title: Investigating landslide susceptibility in the mountainous area of Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir, India: a comparative perspective

Authors: Lucky Sharma; Narendra Kumar Rana; Gaggan Kumar

Addresses: Department of Geography, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India ' Department of Geography, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India ' Department of Geography, Bhaderwah Campus, University of Jammu, 182222, India

Abstract: The escalation of geo-hazards, particularly landslides, has become a pressing concern, exacerbated by both natural factors and human activities. The frequency of rainfall-triggered landslides in mountainous regions is surging, posing imminent threats to lives and infrastructure. Jammu and Kashmir witness this peril throughout the year, affecting millions. This study focuses on creating a landslide susceptibility map for District Doda, employing a multi-method approach. A comparative analysis of multi-criteria decision method-analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Shannon information entropy (SIE) determines their efficacy. The inventory, comprising 250 landslides, incorporates nine conditioning factors. AHP designates 91% of the area as very high or highly susceptible, while SIE identifies 46.49% as vulnerable. Area under curve (AUC) values of 0.898 and 0.976 for AHP and SIE, respectively, underscore the latter's superior predictive capability. This study is instrumental in aiding stakeholders with decision-making, land-use planning, and formulating effective mitigation strategies.

Keywords: landslide; susceptibility; Shannon entropy; analytical hierarchy process; AHP; geohazards; decision-making.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2024.141607

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2024 Vol.23 No.1, pp.23 - 46

Received: 30 Jan 2024
Accepted: 01 Apr 2024
Published online: 26 Sep 2024 *

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