Geographical information system (GIS) based multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) for landslide hazard zonation : a case study of Ampang Jaya Municipal Council / Ainon Nisa Othman

Malaysia has undergone rapid development in many sectors. As the impact of fast economic growth, there will be an increase in land demand for sectors such as industries and housing area. The limitation of flat ground areas especially in urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur and Selangor has increased the demand for other alternatives such as in hilly areas. Landslides have caused large numbers of damages and losses especially in hilly development areas. Major landslide incidence that took place in Highland Tower, Ampang in 1993 was definitely an eye opener for the federal government and local authorities to properly manage hillslope development especially in high risk areas. Although there are various methods and criteria used to determine landslide hazard zones, it is not clear which criteria and models are appropriate to be used in the Malaysian environment.