C O N T E N T S - Physical Land Resources - Vrije Universiteit Brussel

LE HOANG NguyenThe Initial UNESCO’s National Geo-Park Criteria in Caobang Province, North-East of VietnamPromotor: O. BatelaanThe record of the history of our planet lies in its landscapes and in the rock beneath ourfeet. Only here, can we trace the cycles of change and renewal that have shaped theEarth in the past, and which will continue to do so in the future. In the poorest regionsof North Vietnam karst occurs abundant. Here a pro geo-tourism, geo-heritage, biodiversitypolicy, taking into account the diversified ethnic cultural and landscape withina rapid economically developing Vietnam, would offer a sustainable development. Thiswork aims to prepare a data base sources and apply integrated methods combining theinformation obtained by geological map, geomorphologic map, land use map, LandsatTM, aerial photo and digital elevation model (DEM) in a GIS environment for betterunderstanding the overall characteristics of geomorphology, geology in Cao Bangprovince. The relationship between geomorphology and geology distribution, especiallyin a high mountainous region as Cao Bang may be a starting point for seeking Geoparkcriteria. It is concluded that the geomorphology of limestone massifs, whichunderwent a weak lift is of significant importance and should be further studies withinthe Geopark concept.LE VINH BuiRegional Slope Instability Zonation Using Different GIS TechniquesPromotor: F. De SmedtPhysically based slope stability model was applied by combining several parameters including soil andland-use to calculate the factor of safety for three steady state conditions, i.e. completely dry, half saturated,and completely saturated. The results of safety factor calculated for these three steady state scenarios werethen combined to develop the final safety factor map consisting of six stability classes. In CF model, CFvalues were calculated for each category of the affecting factors. The results of the factor maps werecalculated for direct assessment and integration rule. In probability model, relations between the affectingfactors with the landslide map were established. The landslide susceptibility map was made applying thelandslide susceptibility index (LSI).- 32 -