A national level landslide risk index for land use planning in Bhutan: towards assessing landslide hazard, exposure, and vulnerability indexes.
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| Title: | A national level landslide risk index for land use planning in Bhutan: towards assessing landslide hazard, exposure, and vulnerability indexes. |
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| Authors: | Chhetri, Indra Bahadur1 (AUTHOR) indrachhetri.jnec@rub.edu.bt, Phuyel, Mim Prasad1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Earth System Science. Jun2026, Vol. 135 Issue 2, p1-26. 26p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Landslide hazard analysis, *Land use planning, *Risk management in business, *Bhutanese people, *Risk assessment, Environmental protection planning |
| Geographic Terms: | Bhutan |
| Abstract: | In Bhutan, landslides are a common natural hazard posing a greater impact on human settlements, infrastructure, and the environment. However, studies on the landslide risk are limited in understanding these impacts at a Gewog (the smallest territorial unit) level. This study proposes an indicator-based approach to assessing the three risk dimensions of landslide: hazard, exposure, and physical vulnerability. The hazard component integrates a national landslide susceptibility index and an extreme precipitation susceptibility index. Exposure is assessed through population and building density, while vulnerability is determined by construction features such as construction technique and materials, number of rooms, and type of roofing. The dimension weights were derived empirically and tested for consistency with cross-validation against observed landslide occurrences. We derive the final landslide risk index by multiplying these risk dimensions. Cluster analysis further identifies key risk drivers across Gewogs. Results indicate that 47.5% of Gewogs (96) are at high to very high landslide risk, while only 19% (41) are at low to very low risk. High-risk areas are often rural Gewogs with dense populations and structurally vulnerable buildings. Additionally, 56% of houses nationwide fall into high or very high vulnerability categories. This scientific approach reflects a thorough and integrated understanding of the 205 Gewogs' landslide risk at a local level. Therefore, it supports the context-oriented and diversified approaches to landslide risk management that are still lacking in the majority of risk governance procedures at the national level. Lastly, other geographic settings can apply this approach to enhance catastrophe risk reduction, spatial planning, and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Database: | Energy & Power Source |
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| Abstract: | In Bhutan, landslides are a common natural hazard posing a greater impact on human settlements, infrastructure, and the environment. However, studies on the landslide risk are limited in understanding these impacts at a Gewog (the smallest territorial unit) level. This study proposes an indicator-based approach to assessing the three risk dimensions of landslide: hazard, exposure, and physical vulnerability. The hazard component integrates a national landslide susceptibility index and an extreme precipitation susceptibility index. Exposure is assessed through population and building density, while vulnerability is determined by construction features such as construction technique and materials, number of rooms, and type of roofing. The dimension weights were derived empirically and tested for consistency with cross-validation against observed landslide occurrences. We derive the final landslide risk index by multiplying these risk dimensions. Cluster analysis further identifies key risk drivers across Gewogs. Results indicate that 47.5% of Gewogs (96) are at high to very high landslide risk, while only 19% (41) are at low to very low risk. High-risk areas are often rural Gewogs with dense populations and structurally vulnerable buildings. Additionally, 56% of houses nationwide fall into high or very high vulnerability categories. This scientific approach reflects a thorough and integrated understanding of the 205 Gewogs' landslide risk at a local level. Therefore, it supports the context-oriented and diversified approaches to landslide risk management that are still lacking in the majority of risk governance procedures at the national level. Lastly, other geographic settings can apply this approach to enhance catastrophe risk reduction, spatial planning, and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 02534126 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12040-026-02780-w |
