LNRF-Based Landslide Zonation: Enhancing Risk Assessment in Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Landslides are a major geological hazard with significant annual consequences for humans and the economy. Hence, it is imperative to scrutinize and comprehend the elements that contribute to these occurrences and formulate efficient management strategies. Establishing zoning for risk assessment, damage evaluation, and management is crucial because of landslides' manageable and predictable nature compared to other natural disasters such as floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes. This study aims to examine the factors that contribute to the occurrence of landslides and evaluate their frequency in the Argo district of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan, using mathematical and quantitative models. This study examined and digitally mapped several vital factors that significantly impact the occurrence of landslides, such as fault lines, proximity to roads, rock type, slope gradient, slope aspect, and land use. This analysis was conducted using the ArcGIS software. ETM and TM satellite images and Google Earth imagery were used for visual examination. The Landslide Numerical Risk Factor (LNRF) model helped generate weighted maps identifying areas with a high landslide risk in the study region. The results showed that the west slope shows moderate instability and 12% landslide extent, and southeast slopes, though smaller, are more susceptible to landslides, with instability levels and extents of 15% and 17%, respectively. Most landslides in this region occurred within 100 m of faults. The area affected by landslides is 7 ha, or 43% of the total area.