Examining the landslide risk in Watershed of Khaniam, Tonekabon , using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytical network process (ANP)

To examine the landslide hazard in the area under study, Khanian (located in the West of Mazandaran province and Southeast of Tonekabon), AHP and ANP methods were used. Ten layers including lithology, distance from fault, slope, Aspect, Elevation, land use, distance to road, rainfall, distance to river, and Density of springs are considered as effective factors on the occurrence of landslide.. Study results showed that ANP is more accurate than AHP. Because prioritizing the effective factors in ANP is more sensible and acceptable; meanwhile, concerning the effective factors on landslide in ANP, land slope, land use, and lithology are the most significant factors on landslide development. As, ANP makes it possible to compare the sub criteria. This is also proved by field visits. However, results of AHP reveals that lithology and land use play the most important role in landslide occurrence and its expansion in the area under study and other factors indeed control and intensify the other two factors.