APPLICATION OF GIS AND REMOTE SENSING IN GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

Abstract

Hazard Zonation Mapping (HZM) assesses the risk of natural or artificial disasters. This research focuses on landslide susceptibility in the Koh-e-Suleman Range, utilizing the Weighted Overlay Technique. Six factors—Geology, Elevation, Slope Inclination, Distance from Streams, Soil Type, and Annual Rainfall Intensity—were considered. Using a 10m pixel DEM raster, data from DSMW (Digital Soil Map of the World), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), and Climate Research Unit websites were gathered. Equal classes were assigned to all causative factors, except for soil type, where two categories existed. The Weighted Overlay method with equal risk influence for all factors was applied to create the landslide hazard map. The results categorized the study area into four hazard zones: HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, and VERY LOW. Approximately 0.0048% of the area fell in the high hazard zone, 5.11% in the medium hazard zone, 74.27% in the low hazard zone, and 20.61% in the very low hazard zone. To validate the map's accuracy, the hazard zone percentages were compared with a global landslide hazard map from NASA, revealing that almost all the study area fell within low and very low hazard zones. No landslides were observed in these zones, indicating that nearly 95% of the study area is safe from landslides.