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Land use change and landslide characteristics analysis for community-based disaster mitigation
Chien-Yuan Chen1, Wen-Lin Huang
1Department of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City 60004, Taiwan. chienyuc@mail.ncyu.edu.tw
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|September 11, 2012
Summary
Typhoon Morakot triggered landslides in Taiwan, with steep natural forests and shallow-rooted crops like bamboo and tea showing higher landslide ratios. Land use changes significantly impacted landslide frequency and area, necessitating better land management for hazard mitigation.
Area of Science:
- Geosciences
- Environmental Science
- Remote Sensing
Background:
- Typhoon Morakot caused extensive landslides in Taiwan's Taihe village area.
- Land use in Taihe is primarily agricultural, suggesting a potential link to landslide occurrence.
- The region is geologically fragile, with sandstone and shale formations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Typhoon Morakot-induced landslides and land use changes from 1999-2009.
- To analyze landslide characteristics in relation to different land use types.
- To assess the impact of vegetation cover and basin development on landslide susceptibility.
Main Methods:
- Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis combined with field investigation.
- Interpretation and digitalization of Spot 5 satellite imagery (2.5 m resolution).
- Statistical analysis of landslide frequency-area distribution.
Main Results:
- 243 landslides totaling 2.75 km² were identified.
- Landslides predominantly occurred on steep slopes with natural forests and shallow-rooted crops (bamboo, tea, betel nut).
- Areas with changed land use exhibited higher landslide ratios, with natural forests showing the highest susceptibility.
Conclusions:
- Vegetation cover changes directly influence landslide area and frequency.
- Land use management and community-based disaster prevention are crucial for mitigating landslide hazards in Taiwan's mountainous regions.
- Basin development degree is proportional to the landslide ratio.