Evaluation of Natural Suitability of Human Settlements Environment in Hangzhou Based on GIS

Abstract

Taking Hangzhou City as the study area, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology was used, selecting natural factors such as terrain, vegetation, climate, and hydrology for analysis. On the basis of evaluating the suitability of a single factor of human settlements, a Human Settlements Environment Index (HEI) is constructed to explore the natural suitability characteristics and spatial differences of human settlements in Hangzhou. The research results indicate that the natural suitability index of the human settlement environment in Hangzhou is between 0.06 and 0.93, with the overall pattern being the highest in the central region and gradually decreasing towards the northeast and southwest. The distribution area of more suitable areas is the widest, accounting for 26.55% of the province's area. The land area of highly suitable areas accounts for 22.69%, while the area of generally suitable areas accounts for 20.69%. The area of critical suitable areas and unsuitable areas is relatively low, accounting for 13.10% and 16.97%, respectively. Especially for the urban area of Hangzhou, low terrain undulation and flat terrain are its advantageous natural conditions, but its vegetation cover, climate, and hydrological conditions are inferior to other research areas except for the urban area. Therefore, based on the comprehensive analysis, its HEI is lower than the surrounding areas.