Resisting Landslides - Building resilience against landslides

This Post is based on the article "Resisting Landslides- Building resilience against landslides" Which is Published in the The Indian Express on 23rd August 2023. 

Fragile Himalayan Ecosystem

• The Himalayas, a young and rugged mountain chain, are susceptible to various natural and human-induced activities. 

• Tectonic movements, erosion, weathering, and climate events like heavy precipitation and freezing/thawing pose threats, resulting in landslides, floods, and avalanches. 

• Human activities further accelerate stress on this delicate ecosystem.

Urgent Measures for Resilience: 

• To combat these challenges, the region must establish resilience against geo-hazards through an integrated approach. 

• This includes deploying a network of sensors, real-time monitoring, and AI/ML-based Early Warning Systems (EWS). 

• These tools can help anticipate and mitigate the impact of natural processes, environmental degradation, and human actions.

Climate Change and Vulnerability

• The impacts of climate change, such as glacier melt, altered river systems, and increased vulnerability of communities, exacerbate the region's susceptibility to disasters. 

• Land degradation worsens the situation, while the convergence of weather patterns such as confluence of western disturbances and South west summer monsoons leads to intense rainfall, which in turn leads to landslides, and flash floods.

Factors Influencing Landslides

• Hilly terrains inherently possess slope instability, making them prone to landslides. Parameters such as slope gradient, elevation, rock strength, forest cover, and human development contribute to vulnerability. 

• Debris flow and groundwater weaken slopes, while factors like deforestation and riverine flow increase risk. 

• Vulnerability maps categorising regions by risk levels can aid preparedness.

Geological Stresses and Seismic Activity

• The collision of tectonic plates in the Himalayas, like The convergence of Indian plate withe eurasian plate in the himalayan region generates underground stresses that leads to earthquakes. 

• This fracturing of litho-structures near the surface increases the likelihood of rock movement along the slopes of fragile ecosystem. 

• Landslide warning systems must draw the rainfall thresholds of a slope, Monitoring via various sensors—rain gauges, piezometers, etc.—in high-risk zones with dense populations is crucial.

Unified Efforts: Council of Himalayan States

• To effectively manage hazards, a Council of Himalayan States should be established. 

• This council would assess surface and sub-surface stresses, simulate hazard scenarios, and facilitate cooperation among state disaster management authorities. 

• Sharing knowledge and assessment outcomes is essential for comprehensive disaster preparedness.

Balancing Development and Sustainability

• While harnessing the region's resources—glaciers, minerals, energy, and tourism potential—for socioeconomic development, a balance between exploitation and ecological sustainability is vital. 

• Proper town planning should prohibit heavy construction, emphasise drainage systems, advocate scientific slope cutting, and enforce building codes. 

• High-resolution mapping and load-bearing assessments are crucial for informed building regulations.

By adopting a holistic approach that includes early warning systems, data integration, sustainable development, and collaborative efforts, the Himalayan region can enhance its resilience against landslides and other natural hazards. Such measures will safeguard communities and ecosystems, promoting a safer and sustainable future.

Important Terms : 

Landslides : A sudden movement of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope Under the influence of gravitation is termed a landslide.

Practice Question :

Q. The Himalayan region is marked by its unique ecosystem and vulnerability to various natural and anthropogenic factors, particularly landslides. Discuss the factors contributing to landslides in the Himalayas and propose effective strategies to enhance resilience and disaster preparedness in the region. (250 words)

- Answer in Comment Section