Combined methods for risk assessment of mass movement and erosion susceptibility in the Ethiopian highlands

Abstract

The Ethiopian Plateau and the Rift Valley typically display various symptoms of intensive erosion, mass movement and land degradation, which have arisen in response to rapid changes in land cover in an area of high dynamics of relief development. In order to assess the risk of these symptoms of intensive erosion and mass movement it is necessary to apply a method for the evaluation of non-linear systems. Therefore, our aim was to develop a combined method for evaluating the risk of landslides or erosion using complex system theory. This combined integrated method has been tested on two selected localities with landslide hazards on the border of the Ethiopian Highlands and the Main Ethiopian Rift. The method is suitable for a prompt risk evaluation and swift decision making.

Keywords

• integrated methods
• complex systems
• landslides
• erosion
• multi-criteria analysis
• Ethiopian Highlands