Geographia Technica, Vol 20, Issue 1, 2025, pp. 281-297
A GEOSPATIAL ASSESSMENT OF FLOOD RISK TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES USING MULTICRITERIA DECISION MAKING AND ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS
Haritha KADAPA 
ABSTRACT: South Asia's rich cultural heritage is prominently reflected in its archaeological sites. The Indus Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, thrived in what is now India and Pakistan from the mid-third millennium BCE until around 1300 CE. In India, more than a thousand sites associated with the Indus Civilization have been discovered; however, only 15 of these sites are currently protected. Many of the remaining sites are at risk of destruction due to human activities and natural disasters. Therefore, conducting a risk assessment is crucial to understanding the current state of preservation and protection of these sites. The state of Gujarat has diverse geomorphology and faces significant threats from various natural disasters each year. While a comprehensive assessment of all risks is necessary, it is important to begin with a specific concern. This study examines the flood risk to 508 archaeological sites related to the Indus Civilization, along with regional Chalcolithic sites. To generate a flood susceptibility map for Gujarat, ten parameters were selected: clay content of the soil, distance from rivers, distance from roads, drainage density, elevation, Land Use Land Cover (LULC), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), rainfall deviation, slope, and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). These parameters were assessed using Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), integrated with spatial analysis. The risk assessment methodologies developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) were utilized for the risk assessment of archaeological sites. The findings revealed that the districts of Bhavnagar, Botad, and southern areas of Surendranagar and Ahmedabad are more prone to flooding in Gujarat. Out of the 508 archaeological sites assessed, 188 were identified as being at high risk. Notable at-risk sites include Jaidak/Pithad, Lothal, Rangpur, Rojdi, and Valabhipur, along with many unprotected sites that are also affected. By employing various spatial techniques, this study aims to bridge the gap between natural sciences and cultural heritage management, providing a framework for conducting risk assessments in India, particularly for archaeological sites.
Keywords: AHP, Archaeological sites, Flood risk, GIS, Gujarat, MCDM
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