Regional assessment of environmental vulnerability in the Tibetan Plateau: Development and application of a new method

Regional environmental evaluation often requires a large amount of spatial information. Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) are capable of managing large amounts of spatially related datum, and providing the ability to integrate multiple layers and to derive additional information. A methodological reference framework, using RS, GIS, and AHP (the analytic hierarchy process), is developed for environmental vulnerability assessment. Using this proposed method, we carried out a case study in the Tibetan Plateau. An environmental vulnerability index (EVI) proposed incorporates 15 factors covering natural conditions, environmental issues, and human activities. According to the EVI values, the vulnerability was classified into five levels: slight (EVI<2.2), light (2.2⩽EVI<2.7), moderate (2.7⩽EVI<3.0), heavy (3.0⩽EVI⩽3.4), and extreme vulnerability (>3.4). The case study showed that the majority of the area in the Tibetan Plateau is ecologically lightly (light level; 22% of the total area), moderately (moderate level; 27%), and heavily (heavy level; 30%) vulnerable. Except for a clearly horizontal distribution, the environmental vulnerability increased clearly with increasing elevation (vertical distribution). The case study verified the usefulness and feasibility of the methods developed, for the results gained reflect the reality of the Tibetan environment closely. Further use in other regions should pay attention to what factors seem to be important in determining the local environmental vulnerability, and how is the impact of each factor on the complex environment.