Geohazard Analysis in the Context of Bangladesh's Geomorphosites

This study aims to manage geomorphosites in hazard-prone areas sustainably by considering the spatial relationship between natural hazards and human-induced pressures. The work develops a GIS-based model to evaluate multi-hazard vulnerability at four well-known geomorphosites in Bangladesh: Cox’s Bazar, the Sundarbans, Jaflong, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Two indices, the Composite Vulnerability Index (CVI) and the Multi-Hazard Susceptibility Index (MHSI), were created by combining hazard-specific layers of lightning, flood, and landslide risks with tourism pressure. Spatial analyses, including Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), and Getis-Ord Gi* hotspot models, were used alongside elevation data to delineate risk zones. The findings indicated that Cox’s Bazar had the highest vulnerability (CVI = 0.747), driven by high lightning frequency and tourism density. In contrast, CHT showed the lowest overall CVI, with significant landslide susceptibility and relatively less anthropogenic influence. Correlation and radar analysis revealed strong links between hazards and tourism activity. The proposed decision-support framework offers valuable insights for hazard zoning, tourism planning, and disaster preparedness in South Asia’s geomorphic regions, contributing to the ongoing discourse on balancing geo-conservation and tourism development.