In the hilly terrains of Kaligesing, Indonesia, road construction is a delicate dance with nature, one that can sometimes lead to landslides. A recent study, led by Rianita Pertiwi from the Geoinformation Study for Disaster Management and Spatial Planning at Gadjah Mada University, aims to make this dance a little safer. The research, published in the Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management (translated as ‘Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management’), focuses on creating a landslide susceptibility map for road sections in Kaligesing, using the Frequency Ratio (FR) approach.
Pertiwi and her team used a combination of GIS technology and statistical analysis to evaluate the main causal factors contributing to landslides. They considered twelve factors, including slope direction, elevation, lithology, and even soil texture. The data was split into training and testing datasets, with 82 landslide points used to validate the model.
The results were promising. The model proved accurate, with an Area Under Curve (AUC) value of 0.75 for the training set and 0.71 for the testing set. The study identified four levels of landslide susceptibility: very high, high, moderate, and very low. “This research can support decision-making and planning for more adaptive road infrastructure development in landslide-prone areas,” Pertiwi explained.
For the energy sector, this research could be a game-changer. Road construction is often a necessary part of energy infrastructure development, especially in remote or hilly areas. Understanding and mitigating landslide risks can lead to safer, more cost-effective projects. As Pertiwi put it, “By understanding the susceptibility, we can plan better, reducing the risk of landslides and the associated costs.”
The study also opens up new avenues for future research. As Pertiwi noted, “This is just the beginning. There’s so much more we can do with this data and these methods.” The energy sector, in particular, could benefit from further exploration of these techniques, leading to more resilient and sustainable infrastructure development.
In the end, this research is more than just a study; it’s a step towards safer, more informed road construction in landslide-prone areas. And for the energy sector, it’s a beacon of hope for more efficient, cost-effective, and safer infrastructure development. As Pertiwi concluded, “This is about more than just roads. It’s about people, about safety, about progress. And that’s what makes it exciting.”