Assessment of potentially vulnerable zones using geospatial approach along the coast of Cuddalore district, East coast of India

Abstract

ABSTRACT Coastal zones constantly undergo rapid changes in shape, morphology, and the environment due to natural as well as human development activities. Thus, assessing the vulnerability of the coast has become an important matter of concern. The study area is about 33 km of coastal zone from the Gaddilam to the Vellar River of Cuddalore districts in Tamil Nadu, India. This region was affected during the 2004 tsunami that took place in the Indian Ocean and also influenced by many cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. The methodology is about preparing various thematic layers such as shoreline change, elevation data, coastal slope, bathymetry, mean tidal range, maximum surge, beach width, geomorphology, and sea-level rise. Rank and weights are assigned to these parameters using the Index Overlay method in Geographic Information System environment. Vulnerability zones of different magnitudes such as very high, high, moderate, low, and very low were classified. From the study it is found about 15% of the coast is under very high vulnerability, 10.2% of the study lies under high vulnerability, 35.4% of the study lies under the moderately vulnerable region, 24% and 15.4% of the area lies under low and very low vulnerable region, respectively.