Socio-economic determinants of landslide risk perception in Murree hills of Pakistan

Said Qasim; Muhammad Qasim; Rajendra P. Shrestha; Amir Nawaz Khan; Said Qasim; Muhammad Qasim; Rajendra P. Shrestha; Amir Nawaz Khan

doi:10.3934/environsci.2018.5.305

AIMS Environmental Science

2018, Volume 5, Issue 5: 305-314. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2018.5.305

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Research article

Socio-economic determinants of landslide risk perception in Murree hills of Pakistan

1.
University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
2.
Economics Department, Government Post Graduate College, Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
3.
Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, PO Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
4.
Peshawar, Pakistan and Founder Director: Centre for Disaster Preparedness and Management (CDPM), University of Peshawar, Pakistan

Received: 02 July 2018 Accepted: 19 October 2018 Published: 30 October 2018

Murree, located in the sub-Himalayan Mountains, with geographical position extending from 33°52′ to 33°59′ North and 73°24′ to 73°31′ East is the worst slide-affected area of Pakistan. This area is recurrently affected by landslides and causes severe damages to land, life lines, houses, livestock and human life. This article has tried to determine the socio-economic determinants of landslide risk perception in Murree hills of Pakistan. Information was collected from 200, randomly selected sample households through questionnaire survey. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and risk perceptions about landslides. Socio-economic variables affecting landslide risks were also determined through relevant literature. A binary logistic regression was used to find out determinants of landslide risk perception in the study area. Results revealed that out of five variables, three variables including educational level, location and past experience had significant impact on landslide risk perception. The study recommends important policy implications for preparedness and mitigation plans against landslides in the study area.
- landslides,
- risk perception,
- logistic regression,
- Murree hills
Citation: Said Qasim, Muhammad Qasim, Rajendra P. Shrestha, Amir Nawaz Khan. Socio-economic determinants of landslide risk perception in Murree hills of Pakistan[J]. AIMS Environmental Science, 2018, 5(5): 305-314. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2018.5.305

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Abstract

Murree, located in the sub-Himalayan Mountains, with geographical position extending from 33°52′ to 33°59′ North and 73°24′ to 73°31′ East is the worst slide-affected area of Pakistan. This area is recurrently affected by landslides and causes severe damages to land, life lines, houses, livestock and human life. This article has tried to determine the socio-economic determinants of landslide risk perception in Murree hills of Pakistan. Information was collected from 200, randomly selected sample households through questionnaire survey. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and risk perceptions about landslides. Socio-economic variables affecting landslide risks were also determined through relevant literature. A binary logistic regression was used to find out determinants of landslide risk perception in the study area. Results revealed that out of five variables, three variables including educational level, location and past experience had significant impact on landslide risk perception. The study recommends important policy implications for preparedness and mitigation plans against landslides in the study area.

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