Stakeholder perspectives on landslide triggers and impacts in five countries

Abstract

Expert perspectives drive landslide mitigation and post-disaster policy planning. This study examines landslide risk perceptions among the stakeholders (government officials, academics, policy experts, local community representatives, and representatives of NGOs/civil society) across Brazil, Colombia, Nepal, Iran, and Pakistan, identifying both shared concerns and local heterogeneity. Key informants revealed a discrepancy in their degree of concern about landslides, with government officials exhibiting greater apprehension compared to local community representatives. Local community representatives incorrectly perceived landslides to be the result of natural phenomena. In contrast, governmental and academic stakeholders felt that human-induced triggers, specifically those related to land use and land cover change, were significant contributors to landslide occurrences, necessitating stringent law enforcement. The comprehensive impacts of landslides included economic losses, infrastructure disruption, agricultural losses, and food security concerns, underscoring the multifaceted nature of this hazard. Our results suggest the need for proactive citizen engagement in landslide monitoring, recognizing the importance of local contexts. We end by proposing a dual-pronged policy approach that emphasizes the socio-economic context of each region.