Abstract
Environmental databases generated by automation of the decision-making process for resolving complex environmental problems can be used more efficiently than traditional environmental evaluation. Such databases allow access to and analysis of spatial information at either the local or regional level for purposes including the development and assessment of effect of environmental policies, land use planning, precautions for natural disasters, monitoring of the effects of such disasters, and planning of the responses to them. This requires gathering data about local and regional resources, including data on access to roads and rivers, settlements, soil, land cover, and population. The study reported here highlights some technical problems associated with the collection and integration of data from a data-poor environment, and describes the potential benefits of integrating spatial data in relation to environmental problems. The Black Sea region of Turkey, especially the Trabzon province, in which the study was conducted, is burdened with adverse environmental conditions in terms of climate, topography, and land cover. These adverse conditions often cause landslides and in some areas restrict settlement. The purpose of the study described here was to analyze the spatial change (1990–2000) in population distribution in the Trabzon province and to detect potential landslide areas within the province by using functions incorporated in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The preliminary results of these analyses showed that 62.4% of the area of the Trabzon province is at risk for landslide and that 283 village settlements are within regions at high risk for landslide.