![\"2016](\"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/files\/2016\/07\/16_07-Nepal-5.jpg\")
A landslide triggered by the 2016 monsoon in Nepal, via eKantipur<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n .<\/p>\n This is a complex landslide that in the lower reaches transitioned into a debris flow.\u00a0 Note the location of the structures in relation to the path of the flow.<\/p>\n As usual a key issue has been the role of poorly engineered roads in triggering landslides, and in many places there are reports that roads have played a key role in the failures.\u00a0 So, for example, in Pholpi VDC in Pyuthan, which at the moment seems to have suffered the highest number of losses (27 deaths in my dataset), MyRepublica has this quote<\/a>:<\/p>\n “We were actually not at any risk. The newly-constructed rural road is the reason for these landslides,” said Shivaraj Subedi, a local. “The soil was greatly loosened up after the use of an excavator to construct the road. Loose soil coupled with heavy rainfall led to this big disaster.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Similarly in Bajura poor quality road construction<\/a> has been identified as a key issue:<\/p>\n Haphazard use of heavy equipment for road construction in Bajura has affected nearby human settlements negatively….\u00a0 \u201cAlthough road construction is a good thing, the work is being done without properly considering the geographical sensitivity of the area, and many human settlements are in peril,\u201d said Tula Thapa, a local teacher.\u00a0 At the Phalasain-Kuldevmandau road construction site, locals have complained of increased threat of landslides triggered by the projects.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is not new of course, and I have been banging this drum for years.\u00a0 For example, back in 2013 I highlighted an example of landslides being triggered by poor quality road construction in Gorkha District<\/a>.\u00a0 Needless to say the problems have continued unabated.<\/p>\n Finally, in Sindhupalchok district, which was severely affected by landslides in the 2015 earthquakes, landslides are also causing serious difficulties.\u00a0 The Himalayan Times reports<\/a> that:<\/p>\n Most of the rural roads in Sindhupalchok district have been obstructed due to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There is evidence that humans have played a role here too.\u00a0 When the Araniko Highway to Tibet was blocked by landslides last week, a new access road started to be opened using bulldozers.\u00a0 Four days ago the Kathmandu Post<\/a> reported that:<\/p>\n Heavy rains in Sindhupalchok damaged the construction works for the 26-kilometre alternative route to connect Barhabise with Tatopani on Thursday night, after flash floods two weeks ago swept away the parts of Araniko Highway in the district.\u00a0 Divisional Road Office chief, Ashok Tiwari, said 50 percent of the construction they had accomplished, a 13 km track\u00a0 from Barhabise till Jambu, in the last few days was destroyed by landslides. Khorang, Jhyalebhir and Dakalang are seeing the worst landslides.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n