Title: Assessment of terrain stability zones for human habitation in Himalayan Upper Pindar River Basin, Uttarakhand using AHP and GIS

Abstract

Stable and vulnerable free terrain is always preferred for human habitation. Therefore, delineation of terrain stability zones is very much essential for the development and growth of planned and sustainable settlement habitation in any region. To assess the terrain stability for human habitation of the Himalayan Upper Pindar River Basin, Uttarakhand, a systematic regional planning approach is used based on a multi-criteria evaluation framework. It is analysed with the help of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) combined with geographical information system (GIS). Combine effect of twelve parameters or criteria, i.e., landslide-prone areas, Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), average slope, geology, soil, snow-affected area, relative relief, rainfall, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), altitudinal zone, dissection index, and vegetation through AHP method, reveals a great variety of terrain stability in the spatial level of the study area. According to the final thematic map of terrain stability zones, the whole region is classified into five zones, namely stable, moderately stable, moderately vulnerable, vulnerable, and highly vulnerable. 19.31% area of the south-western part of the basin have stable terrain compared to approximately 19.64% highly vulnerable zone of the study area for human habitation in the north- east. The moderately stable and the moderately vulnerable terrain are noted in 20.92% and 19.45% of the study area, respectively. Thus, from the analysis, regions of the basin with high stability terrain for human habitation and growth of settlement are identified with the AHP model and the final result may be drawn as the vulnerability of terrain is gradually decreasing from the north-eastern part of the basin to the south-western section.