Assessment of the Impacts of Urbanization on Landslide Susceptibility in Hakha City, a Mountainous Region of Western Myanmar

Kyaw Swar Myint Thein (), Masahiko Nagai, Tai Nakamura, Noppadol Phienwej and Indrajit Pal
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Kyaw Swar Myint Thein: Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Masahiko Nagai: Center for Research and Application for Satellite Remote Sensing, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-0841, Japan
Tai Nakamura: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba-shi 305-8505, Japan
Noppadol Phienwej: Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Indrajit Pal: Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: In July 2015, more than 100 landslides caused by Cyclone Komen resulted in damage to approximately 1000 buildings in the mountainous region of Hakha City, Myanmar. This study aimed to identify potential landslide susceptibility for newly developed resettlement areas in Hakha City before and after urbanization. The study evaluated landslide susceptibility through statistical modeling and compared the level of susceptibility before and after urbanization in the region. The information value model was used to predict landslide susceptibility before and after urbanization, using 10 parameter maps as independent variables and 1 landslide inventory map as the dependent variable. Four landslide types were identified in the study area: shallow earth slide, deep slide, earth slump, and debris flow. Susceptibility analyses were conducted separately for each type to better recognize the different aspects of landslide susceptibility in planned urban areas. By comparing the results of the susceptibility index before and after urbanization, suitable urban areas with lower landslide susceptibility could be identified. The results showed that high-potential landslide susceptibility increased by 10%, 16%, and 5% after urbanization compared with before urbanization in three Town Plans, respectively. Therefore, Town Plan 3 is selected as the most suitable location for the resettlement area in terms of low risk of landslides.

Keywords: landslide inventory; landslide susceptibility; statistical modeling; information value; urban planning; resettlement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:5:p:1036-:d:1142808

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