Shelter Suitability
Mapping using Geospatial Analysis: A case study of Chalakudy River Basin in Kerala
Antony Reshma, Abdu Rahiman K.U. and Vishnudas Subha
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(11); 38-46;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/1811da038046; (2025)
Abstract
Over the past few years, floods have become far more frequent worldwide. The Chalakudy
River Basin (CRB) in the State of Kerala has been experiencing floods since 2018.
This study analyses the flood-prone areas and identifies the most suitable locations
for flood emergency shelters in the Chalakudy Taluk area of the basin employing
geospatial techniques. To evaluate the suitability of the site, the study employs
multicriteria analysis and a weighted sum approach in Geographic Information System
(GIS). The study locates the position of emergency shelters based on elevation,
land use type, flood inundation data, distance to road network and distance to flood-prone
communities.
The investigation results show that 1.79% of the study area is most suitable, 9.08
% is suitable, 9.65% is moderately suitable, 14.05 % is medium suitable, 11.82%
is moderately unsuitable, 25.1% is unsuitable and 28.27% is very unsuitable for
locating flood shelters. By raising awareness about evacuation shelter locations
within the study area, the research aids in the emergency response phase during
flood incidents. The outcomes of this study help disaster management authorities,
decision-makers, local people and planning committees for early planning of disaster
mitigation activities.
