13 May 2020
A map of 2019 fatal landslides
Posted by Dave Petley
A map of 2019 fatal landslides
One of my tasks during lock down has been to geolocate the 2019 fatal landslides. This is a non-trivial job given the number of events, and in many cases the ambiguity in terms of the reported locations in the news media. But it does allow the global and regional maps to be compiled.
So here is the map of the 2019 fatal landslides, as recorded in my fatal landslide database:-
The 2019 fatal landslides map.
.
Every dot represents a landslide that killed at least one person. All fatal landslides are depicted, including those triggered by rainfall, seismic activity, mining and construction. I have made this map available online. Please be careful with over-interpreting the locations when zoomed in. In many cases it is only possible to map the landslides within a few kilometres, so very detailed maps have low reliability.
For those who read my blog regularly, or who have read my papers, there is much about this map that is familiar – the huge concentration in Asia, and the clusters in Brazil and Colombia for example. The abnormal element in 2019 is the high concentration in East Africa. I have always recorded fatal landslides in this area, but 2019 saw far more than is usual. Unfortunately 2020 is continuing that pattern, driven once again by abnormally heavy rainfall.
It is interesting to examine the 2019 fatal landslides in South Asia, which remains the global hotspot for these events:-
The 2019 fatal landslides map for South Asia.
.
The concentration of landslides along the southern edge of the Himalayas is clear, though Pakistan, India Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. There was a particularly large number in northeast Pakistan and in the Kashmir area of India, as well as the smaller concentration in the southwest of India. We are about to enter the 2020 summer monsoon season in South Asia, with forecasts of heavy rainfall in for example Sri Lanka. The pattern of monsoon induced disasters in 2020 is going to be complex, not least because of increased vulnerability as a result of Covid-19.
I have been pondering whether to post the full 2019 dataset online as a Google Sheet, in order to make the information available more widely and to allow people to provide better information. If you would find this useful then please let me know.
On reflection 1
National Geographic has a very interesting article about the discovery of the remains of people killed by a tsunami about 1000 years ago in Tanzania in East Africa. It is likely that this tsunami was triggered by a distant large earthquake. The underpinning research has been published in Geology.
On reflection 2
The Standard reports that another large landslide has occurred in West Pokot, Kenya, close to the landslides last month that caused extensive damage. This most recent event, at Solion in Muino, has rendered 40 families homeless.
Dave Petley is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. His blog provides commentary and analysis of landslide events occurring worldwide, including the landslides themselves, latest research, and conferences and meetings.
Thank you for the blog and for giving focus on South Asia. My country Nepal faces lots of Landslide related deaths every year.
I think this data is most interesting. Would you know, at least approx., the total numbers of fatalities in 2019? We could all make a guess at where landslide hazard plots on Paul Slovic’s Risk/Dread charts.
Hi Dave.
I read how global warming/climate change is melting very large glaciers.
In India especially,large deptessions in the mountian sides become filled with meltwater.Because they are not properly formed lakes the depression wall on the outer edge can be quite fragile.As the rains come and these water filled depressions become full to overflowing,the edge of the depression gives way.This can cause a flood of water gushing down the mountian side along with debris and rubble it picks up on the way down.It is disasterous for all who live in its path.
This meltwater could be the underlying factor in so many landslides in and around the himalayas.
This is the sad results of a lack of care of our planet and is caused by us humans.
If we can stop climate change we may see these disasters lessen rather than increase.
The world needs to wake up before it is too late.
Your information is very good and it should be published world wide!
Jan.
Hi David,
I think that this is wonderfull work that you do and I definitely think a post of the full 2019 dataset online as a Google Sheet, would be a fantastic document. I always read your blog with great interest, and probably because I was involved with a large slope failure in Zambia in 2001 where we lost 12 people !!! It was one of my slopes, the pit was about 400m deep at that time, and what did us, but our old faithful, water !!! We have always been of the opinion that the failure mechanism was unpredictable, although large scale cracking had appeared two days before the slope failed catastrophically. The failure of 5 million tons was in fact, all over in less than 5 minutes, and everyone did exactly the opposite of what they should have done when the Evacuate Siren was sounded !!