ABSTRACT
Frequent slope failure incidences have been increasing in the last couple of decades in the geologically young and unstable steep slopes of various Himalayan ranges due to inappropriate human activities like deforestation, road construction on unbalanced slopes, terracing and changes in agriculture crops requiring more intense watering, etc. Landslide incidences infrequently involve a single type of movement or root factor but often the result of a combination of several types. Therefore, many factors such as geology, gravity, weather, groundwater, wave action, and mostly human action contribute to slides. Generally, landslide events occur on steep slopes; they also can occur in the low-relief areas. The whole process of land sliding phenomena is dependent on some of the causative factors. The present research aimed to study the geo-ecological conditions responsible for landslides and to identify the vulnerable areas of district Mandi in terms of low, medium, and high vulnerability of landslide occurrences. A study on the landslide hazard vulnerability for any area is imperative in order to evolve the possible hazardous zones. This is necessitated for full-proof warning or alert system to identify the weak zones over the region and therefore a valuable tool for future developmental works and planning. Landslide hazard vulnerability zonation is an integrated approach, which includes the concept of terrain evaluation, geomorphic forms and processes, hydro-meteorological elements, hydro-geological components, natural and anthropogenic activities. All these physico-cultural factors certainly help in understanding the causative factors of landslides in the study area and to prepare the hazard vulnerability map for public and private use.
