Journal of Geography  & Natural Disasters
Open Access

Abstract

GIS Mapping of Tsunami Susceptibility: Case Study of the Karachi City in Sindh, Pakistan

Bilal Aslam, Muhammad J, Muhammad ZI, Gulraiz A and Quaid IA

The seaside region is a valuable zone that sustains many people and numerous bionetworks of biological and financial significance. Conversely, bionetworks and anthropological expenditures in seaside regions can be susceptible to regular catastrophes such as tsunamis. Around Pakistan, tectonic movement under the Indian Ocean has triggered numerous earthquakes and tsunamis. In this paper, we designate a GIS established multi-criteria examination of tsunami susceptibility for the city of Karachi in Sindh, Pakistan. We incorporate several geospatial variables of topographic elevation and slope, topographic relation to tsunami direction, coastal proximity, and coastal shape. We also incorporated proficient knowledge by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to build a weighting order for the geospatial variables. In command to scrutinize tsunami susceptibility in relation to land use, we overlaid a land-use map on the tsunami susceptibility map. Buildings as well as residential and agricultural areas were found to be particularly at risk in Karachi. GIS based studies can assist in an extensive range of disaster valuation and expedite local forecasting for management and vindication of natural disasters such as tsunamis. We expect that the tsunami susceptibility map offered here will back the introductory tsunami vindication and management efforts in the Karachi seaside area.