Application of Hierarchical Multicriteria to Mass Movement Susceptibility along the Southern Escarpment of the Bamileke Plateau (West – Cameroon)

Mass movements are natural phenomena that cause the most damage in the West Cameroon Highlands (WCH). The severity of this damage is linked to the essentially random nature of these mass movements. The Southern Escarpment of the Bamileke Plateau is a region located on the WCH and is constantly affected by mass movements. The goal is to assess the susceptibility to mass movements along the SEBP in order to circumscribe through a susceptibility map the potential areas at risk of mass movement. The methodological approach is based on the study of susceptibility factors through the application of Multicriteria Hierarchical Analysis or Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A total of 10 susceptibility factors were identified, analyzed and weighted as being the factors that cause the occurrence of mass movements in the study area. Slope, soil, direction of slopes, curvature of slopes, density of watercourses, proximity to roads, geomorphology, land cover, lithology and proximity to roads. By introducing these factors into the weighting matrix, we see that the slope is the factor with the greatest weight (21.27%) of responsibility for mass movements. On the susceptibility map, 16.95% represents low susceptibility areas, 43.39% represents moderate susceptibility areas, 29.77% represents high susceptibility areas and 9.89% represents very high susceptibility areas. Some factors such as slope, soil, direction of slopes, curvature of slopes are the significant factors which have large percentages compared to other factors and are thus counted as the factors which have a strong influence on the occurrence of mass movements in the region.