Sustainable Management of a Mountain Community Vulnerable to Geohazards: A Case Study of Maolin District, Taiwan

• Main Authors: John Franklin Harrison, Chih-Hua Chang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: geohazards; remote sensing; landslide susceptibility index (LSI); questionnaire; GIS; rural development
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/15/4107

This study investigates community-based landslide mitigation planning. The combination of a landslide susceptibility index (LSI) model, landslide inventory datasets, and field work is used to identify hazard-prone areas in Maolin District, Taiwan. Furthermore, to identify the challenges and opportunities affecting the sustainable development of mountain communities, a pilot survey was conducted in three such communities (Dona Village, Wanshan Village, and Maolin Village). The results reveal that there are two types of significant mass movement in such areas: debris avalanche and debris flow. The results also show that the LSI map and multi-temporal landslide inventory datasets correlate with landslide locations. Meander is identified as an important factor in landslide activity. The questionnaire results show that the residents of the study area lack awareness of and access to information related to landslide activity. Similarly, the local residents favor increased environmental protection, working within their community, and additional government spending in regard to managing geohazards. To increase the resilience of the community, an improved landslide susceptibility map is proposed based on the output of the results. Thus, this research improves upon the process of identifying, supporting, and bettering the management of communities prone to landslides.