Landslide susceptibility evaluation in the Beas River Basin of North-Western Himalaya: A geospatial analysis employing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method

Abstract

In the North-Western Himalayas, particularly within the Beas Basin of Himachal Pradesh, landslide incidents are frequent, primarily due to the unique interplay of adverse geological conditions, heavy rainfall, and human factors. These incidents result in substantial loss of life and property each year. To mitigate such issues, systematic landslide research is essential, encompassing aspects like inventory mapping and risk assessment. This study leverages the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for an in-depth Landslide Susceptibility Index (LSI) mapping in the Beas River basin, employing remote sensing data to analyze key factors contributing to the region's instability. The process involved a detailed selection and mapping of landslide conditioning variables, guided by validated landslide inventory data and high-resolution remote sensing images, ensuring an accurate representation of the basin's geographical variations. The creation of the landslide susceptibility map utilized the weighted overlay approach, categorizing the area into five levels of susceptibility: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. This classification incorporated ten critical factors influencing landslide occurrence, including elevation, slope aspect, slope angle, distance from drainage, lithology, distance from lineament, geomorphology, rainfall, and land use/land cover (LULC). The LSI was calculated through the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) technique, leveraging the weights and ratings derived via the AHP method. This analysis revealed that approximately 634.1 square kilometers, or 12.8% of the region, face very high landslide susceptibility, followed by 22.6% at high, 25.8% with moderate, 24.4% at low, and 14.5% at very low susceptibility. The LSI map's accuracy in predicting landslides was affirmed through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and Area Under Curve (AUC) evaluations, showcasing an 86.3% precision rate. This classification facilitates focused interventions in high-risk areas, guiding planners in landslide-conscious development and infrastructure planning. It directs engineers toward engineering solutions like slope stabilization and drainage improvements to mitigate landslide effects. Moreover, this approach supports the creation of evacuation and emergency response plans, bolstering community resilience to landslide threats in the river basin.