Leveraging artificial neural networks for robust landslide susceptibility mapping: A geospatial modeling approach in the ecologically sensitive Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu

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Landslides pose a significant threat to the lives and livelihoods of marginalised communities residing in rural areas and the delicate ecological balance of the environment. Implementing advanced technologies is crucial for improving hazard risk assessment and enhancing preparedness measures in regions characterised by diverse topography and complex geological formations. Geospatial applications and modelling techniques have emerged as indispensable in mitigating landslide risks, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas. This study presents a comprehensive approach to landslide susceptibility mapping in the Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu, India, leveraging the power of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and integrating multi-dimensional geospatial datasets. Integrating ANN-based modelling and geospatial techniques offers significant advantages in terms of statistical robustness, reproducibility, and the ability to analyse the complex interplay of factors influencing landslide hazards quantitatively. The methodology involves rigorous pre-processing and integrating spatial data, including landslide event occurrences as the dependent variable and ten independent parameters influencing landslide susceptibility. These parameters encompass elevation, slope aspect, slope degree, distance to roads, land use patterns, geomorphology, lithology, drainage density, lineament density, and rainfall distribution. Feature extraction and selection techniques are employed to effectively model the complex interactions between these factors and landslide occurrences. This process identifies the most relevant variables influencing landslide susceptibility, enhancing the model's predictive capabilities. The state-of-the-art ANNs are trained using historical landslide occurrence data and the selected influencing factors, enabling the development of a robust and accurate landslide susceptibility model. The performance of the developed model is rigorously evaluated using a comprehensive suite of metrics, including accuracy, precision, and the Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Preliminary results indicate that the ANN-based landslide susceptibility model outperforms traditional zonation methods, demonstrating higher accuracy and reliability in predicting landslide-prone areas. The resulting Landslide Susceptibility Map (LSM) categorises the study area into five distinct hazard zones, ranging from very high (664.1 ​km2), high (598.9 ​km2), moderate (639.7 ​km2), low (478.9 ​km2) and to very low (170.9 ​km2). Notably, the eastern and central regions of the district emerge as particularly vulnerable to landslide occurrences. The study's findings have far-reaching implications for disaster risk reduction efforts, land-use planning, and sustainable development strategies in the ecologically sensitive Nilgiri District and beyond.