Assessing the potential of satellite based synthetic aperture radar data with respect to south Indian landslide mapping

Abstract

Landslides are the disturbance in the slope stability under gravity, newlinetriggered by natural or anthropogenic activities. Landslides occur around the newlineworld causing economic losses and human fatalities. Recent studies on global newlinelandslide disasters indicate that some of the highest risk landslide disaster newlinezones are located in Colombia, Tajikistan, India, China, and Nepal where the newlineestimated number of people killed per year per 100 sq. km area was found to newlinebe more than one. In India, according to the devastation extent, landslips are newlineprominent than landslides in the hilly regions, due to which the border roads, newlinepilgrimage and hilly tourist routes face severe consequences. Every year a newlinehuge amount is being spent in stabilizing the slopes along these roads. So, it newlinebecomes necessary to monitor the landslide spots to avoid traffic congestion newlineand people being stranded during the expected season of tourism and rainfall. newlineSeveral guidelines and suggestions are issued by the National Disaster newlineManagement Authority (NDMA) of India to substantially increase the risk newlinereduction strategy according to Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk newlineReduction (2015-30). newlineRemote sensing techniques help in studying the disaster without newlineactually going to the field that is inaccessible. Optical remote sensing helps in newlinestudying landslides qualitatively by identifying change in the vegetation, newlineidentification of scars, etc. But the Indian landslides are mostly monsoon newlinetriggered during which cloud cover degrades the multispectral data quality newlineand availability. Landslide detection from optical data is hindered due to newline