Abstract
The development of landslide inventory is the first step towards landslide hazard management and planning. The proper inventory will also help to develop landslide susceptibility maps which will result to minimize economic and human losses. This work investigates landslide hazard mapping in the rugged mountain terrain vis-a-vis highly economically significant route between China and Pakistan i.e. Karakuram Highway (KKH). KKH is passing through the Karakorum mountainous region where landslides occur frequently and pose a serious threat to local travelers and tourists as well as to trading caravans. In this work, landslide inventory was developed (302 landslides) along KKH by visual interpretation of Sentinel and google images. Field survey was also carried to validate landslide datasets. The landslide dataset was divided into modelling/training (70%) and testing/validation (30%) datasets to develop and validate landslide susceptibility maps (LSM) using three models Frequency Ratio (FR), weight of evidence, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). To develop LSMs, landslide controlling factors that include Slope, Aspect, Landcover, Geology, Proximity to Fault, Distance to Road and Stream, and Precipitation are correlated and considered using GIS techniques. LSMs generated using testing datasets are validated by Area Under Curve (AUC) criterion. The results show that weight of evidence, FR and AHP have success rate curves of 61%, 84% and 72%, respectively. In addition, most highly accurate three models are validated for their prediction power using testing landslide datasets. The results for prediction capacity for weight of evidence, FR and AHP are 72%, 64%, and 58%, respectively. At the end, landslide susceptibility index (LSI) maps were classified into susceptibility zones. We also compared variation of weights in each class in AHP and FR model. The overall trend of increase or decrease in weights remains same except in few classes like precipitation class. The validation and prediction results show that FR model is the most reliable and accurate model which can be used for landslide management and planning. Our results will be helpful to minimize landslide hazard losses along KKH, ultimately assisting in successful implementation of CPEC idea between China and Pakistan.
Highlights
Landslides are destructive natural hazards that frequently lead to loss of human life and economic resources, as well as triggering severe damage to natural resources
Output values of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Frequency Ratio (FR) model are given in Table 4 and Table 5, respectively
FR values (Table 4) and factor weights from AHP (Table 5) show susceptibility (Figure 5) as with increase of number the susceptibility ratio rises in the area
Summary
Landslides are destructive natural hazards that frequently lead to loss of human life and economic resources, as well as triggering severe damage to natural resources. Sometimes, they affect overall economic system of many nations around the globe [1]. Landslides are considered as third in the list of natural hazards as they pose high risk and other adverse economic effects worldwide The recovery from these disasters is sometime even higher than resources of the country. Disaster risk reduction plans and policies can be formulated producing updated and accurate landslide susceptibility maps These susceptibility maps will lead to minimize risk to vulnerable people and avoid extensive economic loss [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
