Comprehensive Assessment of Spatial Distribution of Road-Network Vulnerability in South Asia

Unexpected phenomena-natural disasters, accidents and wars-can disrupt regional traffic systems because of the incapacities of road networks to sustain inflicted impacts. Therefore, the assessment of road-network vulnerability becomes integral to traffic-safety-maintenance and accident-prevention procedures. This study demonstrates the development of a comprehensive network system based on suggested improvements in node extraction, road construction and network attribution. An indicator system for assessing road-network vulnerability was established to be compatible with the South Asian environment and its geographical characteristics by integrating multisource data-topography, geology and meteorological and geopolitical environments. Employing the GIS-based spatial-analysis technique, a vulnerability-assessment model for South Asian road networks was constructed and spatial distributions of vulnerability characteristics were examined under extreme natural and human-influenced environments. The results demonstrate that the road-network-vulnerability distribution in India follows a decreasing trend outwards from the central part of the country. The highest road-network-vulnerability levels of 7 and 8 were observed in the central and northern parts of the Deccan plateau as well as the western coastal and northern mountainous regions. The northernmost part of Pakistan is characterized by road-vulnerability levels in the range of 9-10. Owing to the heavy influence of India-Pakistan conflicts and terror attacks, road networks in proximity to the India-Pakistan border are assigned the highest vulnerability level of 10. The results of this study demonstrate that changes in and the impact of, the geopolitical environment are primary factors influencing road-network vulnerability in South Asia.