Case Studies and National Experiences

Landslides continue to be a major natural disaster causing loss of life, extensive human suffering and economic losses, despite advances in understanding of mechanisms, monitoring and mitigation technologies related to landslides. Sharing the globally accumulated expertise and implementing this knowledge effectively in different local contexts is the major challenge now facing landslide loss reduction efforts. Landslides characteristics differ according to climatic, geological and geographical conditions. They are also affected by different triggering mechanisms depending on the livelihood practices, infrastructure development and population density in each locality. Landslide risk reduction practices and institutional arrangements have evolved in different countries in response to varied landslide experiences brought about by these different geo-physical characteristics and drivers. An objective analysis of the practices adopted worldwide would provide invaluable guidance to develop pragmatic landslide risk reduction strategies and responsible institutions, especially in the developing countries where the impacts are greatest and the vulnerabilities are the highest, especially with increasing hazard potential due to climate change. This chapter describes national programs and methodologies adopted in landslide risk reduction in various countries as a contribution in this direction