GIS-Based Identification of Vulnerability of Human being and physical infrastructure in Krabi, Thailand

Abstract

The issue of vulnerability in the tsunami disaster prone areas has always been overlooked by just considering one aspect either human lives or physical infrastructure only. This research study has focused both aspects of vulnerability to save human lives and infrastructure as well. In this regard, the reasonable criteria was developed by considering the appropriate tsunami vulnerability parameters to identify the vulnerable zones in krabi coastlines of southern Thailand where, tsunami waves inundated on 26 December, 2004 by devastating the human lives and socioeconomic set up. The built criteria were justified by compensating its subjectivity using comparison matrix method. The parameters of vulnerability such as population, proximity to shoreline, roads and stream were developed and used in GIS. The various techniques of GIS such as extracting the data layers, converting the vector data shape into raster format, developing the various categories of data into different classes by applying classification method, map algebra method using map calculation technique by summating the overall parameters and dividing them with their total numbers, were applied. The final outcome of GIS based vulnerability model was developed into four classes as very high, high, moderate and low vulnerability zones. It is believed that these predicted vulnerability zones will help the decision makers for the re-land use planning, mitigation for the future tsunamis in advance, sustainable development, residential and other commercial purposes including tourism and ecotourism