1. On Landslides, Ecosystems and
Livelihoods
Sudmeier-Rieux, K.
UNU-EHS, Bonn, 2010
University of Lausanne,
- Institute of Geomatics and Risk Analysis
IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
2. Outline
(i) To review the latest scientific developments and working
hypotheses with respect to ecosystems, ecosystem services and
DRR
(ii) To review the latest tools and methods used for linking
ecosystem management and DRR
(iii) What is the contribution of ecosystem services and their
management towards vulnerability and disaster risk reduction
and livelihood resilience enhancement?
(iv) How could these services be measured (development of tools
and methods) and how could this be translated for practitioners
(or in user-friendly applications)?
(v) To identify key research gaps that remain to be addressed when
addressing the role of ecosystem, ecosystem services and DRR
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
3. Landslide world trends
Hydro-meteorological hazards, ISDR, 2009
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
4. Landslide world trends
• Annual fatalities around
5000 per year
• Small shallow landslides
underreported >> livelihoods
•Small cumulative events
•Ridge to reef > siltation
• More intense rainfall
patterns and esp. more
exposed pop’s >> increase in
Worldwide mid-sized events
Petley, 2005 landslides
• Most occur in SE Asia and
Central America
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
5. Types of landslides
Slides
Flows
Falls and topples
Subsidence
Rock avalanches or
failures
Glade and Crozier, 2005
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
6. Factors causing landslides
Preparatory factors:
•Rainfall > soil
moisture
•Deforestation
•Grazing
•Road construction
•Slash and burn
Triggering factors:
•Rainfall thresholds>
locally specific
•Earthquakes
•Road
construction/blasting
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
7. Shallow landslides < 1 meter deep
Rainfall triggered landslides in Earthquake triggered landslides in
New Zealand, 2004, Kashmir, Pakistan, 2006,
Crozier and Glade, 2005 Sudmeier-Rieux, 2006
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
8. Deep seated landslides > 1 meter deep
Rainfall-induced rockslide, Earthquake-induced rockslide,
New Zealand, 2004 Kashmir, Pakistan, 2006
Crozier and Glade, 2005 Sudmeier-Rieux, 2006
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
9. Vegetation and landslide stability
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
10. Vegetation cover and landslides, Mexico
•Based on
remote sensing
study in Sierra
Norte
•Vegetation
changes 1989-
1999 (-70%)
•Heavy rainfall in
October 1999
Alcantara-Ayala, 2006 •Massive
landslides on
barren soils
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
11. Vegetation cover and landslides, Pakistan
•100 landslides profiled
•17 km 2 surface area
•84 landslides on right
bank
•Vegetation cover
highly degraded
•56% grazing, followed
by roads
•Similar geology and
slope gradient (50-55°)
•Private ownership vs.
state regulated
•Remote sensing,
ground truthing
12. Ecosystems, livelihoods and landslides
• Livelihoods in mountain areas
depend on delicate human-
environment interactions
• Landslides both create
favorable conditions for
human activity and destroy
them
• « Proper » terracing can
stabilize slopes: rainfed
agriculture vs. irrigated fields?
• Road building, excavation,
deforestation can lead to slope
destabilization
• Trade-offs between improved
access and landslide risk
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
13. Contribution of ecosystems to DRR
Swiss Alps/ Dorren, 2007
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
14. Protection forests in Switzerland
• Forests are estimated to
save between US$ 2–
3.5 billion per year in
disaster damage
• Cost effective slope
stabilization
• Forests managed as
multi-age stands
• Other benefits such as
aesthetics and firewood
Andermatt, Switzerland
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
15. Locally adapted slope stabilization
French alps/ Dorren, 2007
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
17. Measuring ecosystem services & reducing risk
• Few economic valuation studies to measure value of
vegetation cover for landslide risk reduction
• Landslide risk management is traditionally hazard- rather
than vulnerability and risk focused
• Slope stabilization – from highly costly to locally adapted
• « Top-down » remote sensing using satellite images SAR
(Synthetic Apeture Radar), GIS
• « Bottom-up » participatory risk mapping, 3D GIS methods
• Community based monitoring
• Community based risk/resilience index
• Risk Vulnerabilty Assessment Methods Project (RiVAMP)
(UNEP)
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
18. Research gaps
• Vegetation and soil
erosion link well
documented BUT more
on thresholds needed
AND role of human
impacts on landslides
HOWEVER often locally
specific
• Not many economic
valuation studies that
demonstrate the value
of forests to DRR
(+ livelihood benefits?)
>>> policy implications
Nepal / Sudmeier-Rieux, 2009
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
19. Conclusions
• Methods usually include
remote sensing, geological
studies w. ground verification
> pros and cons
• Reducing landslide risk
depends on amount of risk a
society is willing to accept and
$ means available
• Locally-adapted methods for
monitoring and landslide
reduction through community
based DRR
• Research – community -policy
gap
• Multiple uses – landslide
mitigation and livelihood
support (e.g. bamboo) Nepal/ Sudmeier-Rieux, 2009
1. Science tools and methods 2. Ecosystem services 3. Measuring services 4. Gaps and conclusions
20. FEEDBACK WELCOME - THANK YOU !
Thank you:
University of Lausanne,
Institute of Geomatics
and Risk Analysis
International Union for
the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN)
Commission on
Ecosystem Management
Funding from:
Swiss National Science
Foundation 2009-2011
karen.sudmeier-rieux@unil.ch, karen.sudmeier@gmail.com
