Mapping the territories of the mountain-foothill zone of Tajikistan exposed to mudflows

In recent years, mudflows have emerged as a significant threat to infrastructure and lives, exhibiting increased frequency and severity. This study collectively addresses the rising threat of natural hazards, specifically mudflows in mountain-foothill zones in Tajikistan, utilizing UAV and remote sensing technologies to monitor their impact. From 2020 to 2023, we employed a QC-2 Micro UAV and a DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter to capture high-resolution aerial imagery across multiple affected districts, supplemented by pre- and post-event Sentinel-2 images analyzed using the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Our analysis revealed that 49 districts and cities experienced significant mudflow events, resulting in estimated damages and economic losses of 30.2 million USD, with particularly severe impacts noted in the Khuroson, Tojikobod, Vakhsh, Panjakent, Lakhsh, and Varzob. The composition of mudflows in the six studied areas predominantly consisted of clay, with some regions featuring mudstone and a few exhibiting a mixture of both materials. Our findings indicate the predominance of rain-induced mudflows in foothill areas, contrasting with rain-snow, glacial, and lake-outburst-induced mudflows in mountainous regions. This underscores the urgent need for effective disaster risk management strategies in vulnerable locations. Integrating UAV and remote sensing technologies provides crucial information for analyzing damages, identifying vulnerable areas, and advising emergency response efforts, thereby enhancing disaster risk management in Tajikistan.