Inventory of Landforms and Geomorphosites for the Promotion of Geotourism in South Andaman Island, India

Abstract

Andaman Island, situated in the active tectonic belt of the Sunda Subduction Zone, is characterised by extensive geo-diversity compared to any other area of mainland India. The island possesses a complex and wide variety of landforms, ranging from high mountains to escarpments, piedmont slopes, and valleys to coastal plains. The picturesque landscapes of the island attract many visitors every year, especially after the tsunami, in 2014. However, the number of visitors is still limited due to the lack of tourism promotion, valorisation of these landform assemblages. Therefore, recognising these landforms as geomorphological sites as well as promoting their promotion for geotourism development are the two main objectives of this research. The concept of geomorphosite was implied for assessing the importance of geomorphological landscapes. The methodology adopted to evaluate the geomorphological sites of South Andaman Island includes two main stages: preparation of the inventory of landforms followed by their quantitative evaluation for the identification of geomorphosites. In the first stage, potential geomorphosites were identified based on certain predefined criteria. In the second stage, the numerical assessment was performed for the selected sites. Weighted scores were assigned against each of the criteria for each of the geomorphosites. Finally, the geo-tourism potential of the concerned geomorphosites was classified using the derived cumulative score. The output of the research can serve as a basis for sustainable use and management of the geomorphosites for the promotion of geotourism in the South Andaman Islands.