Analysis of topographic parameters underpinning landslide occurrence in Kigezi highlands of southwestern Uganda

Denis Nseka (), Vincent Kakembo (), Yazidhi Bamutaze () and Frank Mugagga ()
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Denis Nseka: Nelson Mandela University
Vincent Kakembo: Nelson Mandela University
Yazidhi Bamutaze: Makerere University
Frank Mugagga: Makerere University

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2019, vol. 99, issue 2, No 20, 973-989

Abstract: Abstract An assessment of the influence of topography on landslide occurrence in the Kigezi highlands of southwestern Uganda was conducted. Whereas the frequency and magnitude of landslides in these highlands are on the increase, the topographic attributes underpinning landslide occurrence are not well understood. Sixty-five landslide scars were surveyed and mapped to produce landslide distribution maps. Specific topographic parameters, namely slope gradient, profile curvature, topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), and topographic position index (TPI), were assessed on landslide slope sites. The attributes were parameterized in the field and GIS environment using a 10-m DEM. Landslides were noted to concentrate along narrow topographic hollows, as opposed to broad concave slopes in the landscape. The occurrence is dominant in slope zones where slope gradient, profile curvature, TWI, TPI, and SPI are 25°–35°, 0.1–5, 8–18, − 1–1, and > 10, respectively. It was established that profile curvature and slope gradient are the most and least significant topographic parameters in landslide occurrence (R2 = 0.802, p value = 0.088 and R2 = 0.5665, p value = 0.057), respectively. An understanding of these topographic underpinnings would serve to identify and predict potential landslide zones within the landscape and enhance landslide hazard mitigation.

Keywords: Topographic parameters; Landslide occurrence; Kigezi highlands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-019-03787-x

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