Shoreline and Land Use Land Cover Changes along the 2004 tsunami-affected South Andaman Coast: Understanding Changing Hazard Susceptibility

Abstract. The 2004-tsunami affected the South Andaman coast experiencing dynamic changes in the coastal geomorphology making the region vulnerable. We focus on pre-and post-tsunami shoreline and Land Use Land Cover changes for the period 2004, 2005, and 2022 to analyse the dynamic change in hazard. We used GEBCO bathymetry data to calculate Run-up (m), arrival times (Min), and inundation (m) at 13 different locations using the 2004 Sumatra Earthquake source parameters. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System is used for the shoreline change estimates. The Landsat data is used to calculate shoreline and LULC change in five classes, namely Built-Up Areas, Forests, Inundation areas, Croplands, and water bodies during the above period. We examine the correlation between the LULC changes and the dynamic change in shoreline due to population flux, infrastructural growth, and Gross State Domestic Product growth. India industry estimates the Andaman & Nicobar Islands losses exceed INR 10 billion during 2004 that would see a five-fold increase in economic loss due to a doubling of built-up area, a three-fold increase in tourist inflow, and a population density growth. The unsustainable decline in the forest cover, mangroves and cropland would affect sustainability during a disaster despite coastal safety measures.