Integrating geospatial techniques for the assessing of multiple geo-environmental hazards susceptibility in Upper Indus Basin Pakistan
摘要
Geo-environmental hazards are one of the most common natural disasters, posing significant dangers due to their highly unpredictable nature. The Upper Indus Basin is one of the most vulnerable regions for geo-hazards in Pakistan. The purpose of this research was to develop a technique using a geographical information system (GIS) to evaluate the Susceptibility to Multiple Geo-Environmental Hazards in the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. For this purpose, ten main parameters, including slope, aspect, profile curvature, land use land cover (LULC), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference moisture index (NDMI), buffer zone along river, earth quake magnitude, annual mean temperature, and rainfall, were used and reclassified with specific percentage of every layer according to its ability to affect geo-environmental hazards. Reclassified LULC and elevation layers were combined using GIS spatial analysis and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) tools. According to our results, the weightage of different parameters like NDVI, NDMI, temperature, and rainfall were noted as 0.17, 0.1, 0.12, and 0.14, respectively, in the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan. The minimum and maximum overall accuracy values were calculated in the range of 0.82 (grassland) and 0.93(built-up land), respectively. Almost 41,556 km2 (25.21%) of the studied area was noted as a low-risk area, 72,153 km2 (43.78%) a moderately risk area, and 51,105 km2 (31.01%) a high-risk area for Geo-Environmental Hazards Susceptibility in Upper Indus Basin. Our outcomes showed that the area is susceptible to geo-environmental hazards that are moderately risky and high-risk area. Our research will be useful for stakeholders and policymakers who are formulating strategies for disaster mitigation and preparedness in the Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan.