Enhancing Landslide Risk Management in the City of Guwahati: Implementing an Automated Early Warning System Utilizing Soil Moisture Sensors MADHUSHREE SHARMA, SHAKUNTALA LASKAR Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department Assam Don Bosco University Azara, Guwahati, Assam INDIA Abstract: - Landslides pose a significant threat to human lives, infrastructure and environment, necessitating a landslide Early Warning system. A significant change in the soil moisture sensor value is observed as the time for landslip approaches in rainfall induced landslides. This paper represents an early warning system for the city of Guwahati using a basic automated tool, Zapier. By automating the early warning system, messages can be sent to the people residing in the landslide prone areas. This method is a low cost alternative to other landslide monitoring techniques such as use of retaining walls etc. Key-Words: - : Landslide, Soil Moisture, Automated Tool, Early Warning, Risk Hazard Received: March 4, 2024. Revised: August 23, 2024. Accepted: September 17, 2024. Published: October 15, 2024. 1. Introduction Eli Roth says, “Natural disasters are terrifying, that loss of control, this feeling that something is just going to randomly end your life for absolutely no reason is terrifying. But what scares the most is the human reaction to it and how people behave when the rules of civility and society are obliterated.” Thus, there was always a need for early warning system for any kind of natural hazards. One such risk that needs to be prevented if left unchecked is landslides, which can be prevented with an effective and long-lasting warning system. The doorway to the North East region of India and the land of Maa Kamakhya, Guwahati is surrounded by 18 hills out of which 8 are found to be landslide prone. The reason behind the vulnerability lies in two facts - rapid urbanization and cutting of natural slopes for infrastructure. During monsoon season, highest number of landslide events happens as evident from the Table 1. Landslide early warning system consists of 3 basic steps as landslide mapping, monitoring and modeling [1]. The first step involves the landslide zonation mapping where the landslide prone areas are mapped with the help of satellite images or using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) models. In [2], landslide hazard zonation for Guwahati City was performed with the help of Arc GIS where areas prone to Debris Slide or Rock Fall are classified and identified by different colors (Figure 1). In the second basic step of landslide early warning, various sensors can be placed at the landslide prone areas to collect the data which are directly or indirectly related to the occurrence of landslide. Soil Moisture, temperature, humidity, slope area, range of vegetation, rainfall and displacement are some of the parameters on which occurrences of landslide depends. Soil moisture sensors are placed at various places in the experimental set up and tested with induced rainfall, since the landslides in the concerned area is mainly rainfall induced. In the third or final step of landslide early warning system, with the help of monitored data, an early warning system can be modeled. DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE DOI: 10.37394/232022.2024.4.13 Madhushree Sharma, Shakuntala Laskar E-ISSN: 2732-9984 120 Volume 4, 2024