Relative effect-based landslide hazard zonation mapping in parts of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, South India

The Nilgiri massif, South India, is chronically prone to landslides due to deforestation and the resultant direct entry of rainwater and the final increases of pore pressure leading to landslides in the region. In order to understand such landslide causes, the relative effect method, a new technique, has been adopted for the study area. Among various methods, this is a statistical method developed within the framework of the Geographic Information System to map landslide hazard zones in a mountainous environment. To determine the relative effect (RE) of the factors influencing landslides, data layers of geology, land use/land cover, geomorphology, slope, lineament density, drainage density, and soil were analyzed by calculating the ratio of the unit portion in coverage and landslide, this function that is logarithmic. To quantify the magnitude of factors influencing each grid unit, REs were summed and classified into zones of low-, moderate-, and high-landslide hazard zones. It is also appropriate to follow suitable measures to prevent the landslides in the study area by involving all stockholders and with the active participation of local communities.