Published Paper


A geographic analysis of natural hazard profile of Kerala, India

Dr. R Anil Kumar & Dr. V.K Jayalakshmi

Page: 121-134
Published on: 2019 December

Abstract

Kerala is located in the south western part of India exposes to different types of natural hazards and it is considered as the multi hazard prone state in the country. The state is mainly susceptible to eight natural hazards which include floods, landslides, droughts, lightning, earthquakes, coastal erosions, tsunami and cyclone.  Geographical factors have profound influence on the hazard profile of the state. The district-wise hazard profile categorized in Kerala does not seem to be distributed evenly in all districts. The present study attempted to develop and evaluate the districts wise multi hazard susceptibility scale and matrix which assessed the profile of eight natural hazards in the fourteen districts of the state. In accordance with this hazard susceptibility index and district susceptibility index was estimated which further categorized into four divisions as Very High Susceptible, High Susceptible, Medium Susceptible and Low Susceptible.  The study reveals that the state exhibits a unique spatial distribution of susceptibility to various natural hazards in the each district. According to the study Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kozhikode are the most susceptible districts while landslide and floods are two hazards which are more susceptible than others. The study would be a first attempt in this kind considering the multi hazard profile of all the districts for assessing districts multi hazard susceptibility of the state.

 

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