Land suitability assessment for post-earthquake reconstruction: A case study of Lushan in Sichuan, China

Abstract

Land suitability assessment (LSA) is one of the key processes of land-use planning. Given its particularity of land suitability assessment for post-earthquake reconstruction, this paper takes into account geological conditions, risk of disasters, water and land resources conditions, and eco-environmental suitability and emphasizes safety factor in the assessment. Taking the April 20, 2013 Mw 6.6 Lushan earthquake as a case, this assessment establishes factors system, uses GIS spatial analysis techniques and data of geology, topography, resources, and eco-environment to evaluate the land suitability for reconstruction. The results show that: (1) the spatial characteristics of land suitability for reconstruction at grid scale and administrative scale manifest that most of the piedmont plains in the east are suitable for large-scale population aggregation, industrialization, and urbanization development; and (2) for the six hard-hit counties, Mingshan is the preferred region for large-scale post-earthquake reconstruction due to its high construction index and suitable land per capita, and some plots of land in the valleys could be selected for in-situ small-scale reconstruction in Lushan. The land suitability assessment for post-earthquake reconstruction would be significant to making sound reconstruction planning for achieving sustainable regional development in the Mw 6.6 Lushan earthquake stricken area. This study could be used as a reference for the regions with similar events.