Deaths from landslides worse than thought

PARIS: The death toll from landslides is 10 times higher than generally estimated, with most fatalities occurring in South Asia, China and Latin America, according to a British study published on Thursday.

Researchers at Durham University in northeast England said that 2,620 fatal landslides occurred around the world—causing 32,322 deaths—between 2004 and 2010. They added that the figure was a conservative estimate.

Fatalities occur most during the northern hemisphere’s summer, especially during the Asian monsoon, and among densely populated slums built on deforested slopes, the researchers said.

Hotspots in Asia include the southern edge of the Himalayas, Sri Lanka, the coasts and mountains around the Sichuan basin in central China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia’s Java island. In the western hemisphere, deadly landslides occur mostly in Haiti, as well as in highlands from Mexico and Colombia to Chile, where denuded slopes are vulnerable to storms.

“Landslides are a global hazard requiring a major change in perception and policy,” said author David Petley, a professor of geography at the university’s International Landslide Center. He added that the database, published in the US journal Geology, should be a useful guide for policymakers.

“There are things that we can do to manage and mitigate landslide risks such as controlling land use, pro- active forest management and guiding development away from vulnerable areas,” Petley said.

The study defined landslides as movements of rock and soil incurring loss of life, for which an earthquake was not responsible.