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Vulnerability Assessment of Avalanches in Upper Satluj Basin, District Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India: A Geographic Information System (GIS)-Based Approach

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Abstract

The satellite images interpretation and its analysis through the geographic information system (GIS) is one of the technical and scientific methods to analyze the avalanches. The selected parameters such as slope, slope aspect, slope profile, relative relief and land use, land cover and their subclasses are major base triggering factors for the impacts and its vulnerability analysis. All base factors indicate the threat of avalanches and its vulnerabilities depend on the impact value of the parameters classes. The overlay analysis reveals that the about 6% region of basin has very high vulnerability of avalanches. Out of which 0.9% area has high vulnerability and the remaining portion 99.1% of basin area has low vulnerability and not recorded incidences of avalanches. The average vulnerability (0.41) and impact score (0.54) indicates low vulnerability of avalanches.

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Acknowledgements

The Authors are thankfully to acknowledge the Director of G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE) and Department of Geography Kumaun University Nainital, Uttarakhand 263001, for providing research support and valuable guidance and providing GIS lab facilities to deportment of this study.

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Jamwal, A., Chand, K. (2022). Vulnerability Assessment of Avalanches in Upper Satluj Basin, District Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India: A Geographic Information System (GIS)-Based Approach. In: Singh, R.B., Kumar, M., Tripathi, D.K. (eds) Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems for Policy Decision Support. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7731-1_6

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