Geospatial Analysis of Landslide Susceptibility in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir: A Multi- Criteria Decision-Making Approach

Abstract

Abstract Landslides poses serious threat to human and environment which involves sliding of rock, soil and debris down a hill. Creating a landslide susceptibility map is crucial for prevention, prediction and mitigation of these disasters. Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir faces significant risks due to its rugged topography, intense rainfall, and various anthropogenic activities. This study employs Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), in Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify landslide susceptibility zones in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir. Ten factors such as elevation, slope, lithology, rainfall, soil, geology, geomorphology, and distance from lineament, streams, and vegetation cover are evaluated through pairwise comparisons using AHP. Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA), a spatial analysis method has been applied in ArcGIS Pro to determine weights and is validated by consistency ratio calculation. This study identifies three zones: low, moderate, and high, with approximately one-quarter of the area primarily in northern & north-eastern parts being highly susceptible. Implementing strict mitigation measures, proper land use regulation, slope stabilization techniques, and afforestation is crucial to reduce the impact of landslides.