The Impact of Catastrophic Natural Disaster on Land-Use Changes of Qingping Town and the Selection of Suitable Land for Settlement Construction

A Ms 8.0 large earthquake occurred in Sichuan, China on May 12, 2008 (hereafter called 5.12 Earthquake), and then a large debris flow happened in the quake-hit Qingping Township of Mianzhu county on August 13, 2008 (hereafter called 8.13 Debris Flow). The influence of two disasters on the changes in land use were analyzed by using high-resolution aerial photos and satellite remote sensing images taken before and after the 5.12 Earthquake and 8.13 Debris Flow, the selection of suitable construction land were studied by learning experiences and lessons from the selection of resettlement areas and through field surveys and with land use transfer model and analytical model in combination with RS and GIS. The results showed that the influence of the 5.12 Earthquake on ecological environment was far greater than that of the 8.13 Debris Flow; there were more salient conflicts between population and land after the earthquake. Sites for post-disaster reconstruction should not be in disaster-prone areas or in gully-facing areas. Suitable land for settlement construction in Ⅰ-1~Ⅰ-5 low-hazard zones is optimal settlement areas for post-disaster reconstruction.