Geospatial Analysis for Coastal Risk Assessment to Cyclones

Cyclone is one of the major coastal hazards affecting the Indian coastline bringing floods and widespread damage due to rain, storm surges and heavy winds. Hence, coastal risk assessment is essential to identify the threats to the land and population, from cyclones. The risk assessment has been carried out in northern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, for the stretch from Kattivakkam to Kovalam. Risk is the probability of expected losses from a given hazard and it varies according to the vulnerability of the region. The risk assessment has been structured in four components, namely, Environmental Vulnerability, Social Vulnerability, Hazard Potential and Mitigation Capacity. The thematic layers and hazard maps are created using Satellite data and Geographic Information System. Coastal risk indices are generated for each component of risk using Analytic Hierarchy Process. Based on the index value, the level of risk is mapped and the results help in faster and appropriate decision making.