IMPACTS OF LAND USE AND LAND COVER CHANGES ON DISASTER RISK By M.V.R.Varma.Fos: Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems

Disaster Risk

Hazard

ExposureVulnerability

Disaster Risk = fun(Hazard,Exposure,Vulnerability)

To reduce disaster risk, it is important to reduce the level of vulnerability and to keep exposure as far away from hazards as possible by relocating populations and property.

Disaster Risk

Reduction

Disaster Risk Reduction is an acceptable term defined in UN/ISDR as

“The Conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risk risks throughout the a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and prepared ness) the adverse impact of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development.”

LAND USE

“Land use is characterized by the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover type to produce, change or maintain it”

LAND COVER

land cover is the physical material at the surface of the earth. Land cover include grass, asphalt, trees, bare ground, water etc.

ZONING Zoning is the term used for designating permitted uses of certain parcels of land by local governments.

Generally, in urban areas, zoning will be divided five major categories: residential, mixed residential-commercial, commercial, industrial, and special (e.g., power plants, sports complexes, airports, shopping malls etc.).

NEED OF LAND USE

ASSESSMENT

Land use information can be used to develop solutions for natural resource management issues such as salinity and water quality.

More recent significant effects of land use include urban sprawl, soil erosion, soil degradation, salinization and desertification.

The land use/land cover pattern of a region is an outcome of natural and socio – economic factors and their utilization by man in time and space.

Information about land use change is necessary to update land cover maps and for effective management and planning of the resources for sustainable development (Alphan 2003).

Urban areas are changing due to various human activities, natural conditions and developmental activities. According to the user requirements, updating of land use maps are required to various departments and hence information of land use/land cover in the form of maps and statistical data are very vital for spatial planning, management and proper utilization of land.

VISAKHAPATNAM

Case Study

Pictorial representation of areas occupied by LULC during 1998-2010

    1998 2010  Sl.No Feature Class Area % Of Area % Of area Net

    Occupied area Occupied Occupied Change     (sq.km) Occupied (sq.km)    

1. Airport 6.78 1.09 7.47 1.2 0.11 2. Beach sand 2.74 0.44 2.56 0.41 -0.03 3. Built up land 95.63 15.38 145.52 23.41 12.33 4. Fallow land 77.56 12.47 38.85 6.25 -6.62 5. Forest area 173.72 27.95 165.51 18.34 -9.61 6. Harbour 2.34 0.37 2.32 0.37 0.00 7. Industrial area 40.30 6.48 51.75 8.32 1.84 8. Plantation 65.05 10.42 67.56 10.87 0.45 9. Recreational          

  area 10.16 1.63 10.89 1.75 0.12 10. Salt pans 16.71 2.68 13.13 2.11 -0.57 11. Scrub land 121.83 19.60 97.99 15.76 -1.84 12. Water body 8.70 1.49 8.18 1.31 -0.18 13. Water logged          

  area 0 0 9.79 1.57 3.60       100.00 621.52 100.00    Total area 621.52        

Attribute data of Supervised Classification

The most serious threat observed is the occupation of hill slopes at an enormous phase posing serious environmental impact in the form of destruction of the natural slope morphology including natural drainage, soil cover, slope vegetation and slope stability.

The possible impacts include the depletion of groundwater, water logging in low laying areas, gradual collapse of hill slopes resulting loss of human life and property. If this continuous the natural land scape which is considered as most beautiful in this city, will be lost forever

PROBLEMS FACED BY VISAKHAPATNAM

RECOMMENDATIONS The decrease in vegetation cover and forest cover may be an aspect of

serious concern and the planners and policy makers need to take necessary steps for conserving forest cover.

The beach and coastal erosion by man made reasons should be closely monitored and necessary scientific steps must be taken to stop the beach erosion to avoid further environmental complications.

In ordered to prevent inappropriate construction of building,the building code should be strictly implemented

Addressing the requirements after the flood has receded.

There should be a proper land use control and settlement policy in the state

Degradation of environment, disasters and poverty form a vicious cycle and this cycle can be overcome only by a careful environment management planning and integrating it with disaster management and poverty alleviation.

There should be a proper land use control and settlement policy in the state

REFERENCEShttp://www.fao.org/nr/land/use/en/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_usehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_coverhttps://www.hg.org/land-use-and-zoning.html http://www.adrc.asia/publications/TDRM2005/TDRM_Good_Practices/PDF/PDF-2005e/Chapter1_1.2.pdf http://file.scirp.org/Html/5-8401164/36a301cf-b905-4d3c-8c50-d49ff3b983fd.jpg