Access to Landslide Prediction Software for Risk Reduction

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[edit] ACCESS TO LANDSLIDE PREDICTION SOFTWARE FOR RISK REDUCTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Blog Post

[edit] Summary

Develop a web-interface for inputting field data to an existing landslide prediction model, and allow the user to download the model outputs for visualization, interpretation and identification of landslide risk reduction measures. By making this model available to local engineers and technicians in developing countries it will be possible for them to work with residents to diagnose the causes of landslides in the most vulnerable ‘shanty-town’ communities. It has been shown that this method can lead to the construction of effective landslide risk reduction in such communities and large events can cause loss of life, require community relocation, and cost millions of dollars.

Problem owned by the MoSSaiC team and the winning RHoK#1 team, working simultaneously in the Eastern Caribbean and Chicago.

Contact mossaic@emailplus.org

[edit] Use Case

  • The MoSSaiC project in the Eastern Caribbean has shown that mapping hillsides can reveal the local landslide triggers
  • The mapping is done by the community and local government engineers or local geo-technicians.
  • In this context dynamic slope hydrology is often found to be the dominant landslide mechanism at a highly localised scale – water entering the slope material reduces its strength and can result in a landslide
  • If the amount of surface water (from rainfall and houses) can be reduced, this means that less water will soak into the soil and hence the stability of the slope will be increased
  • This ‘diagnosis’ can be tested using slope stability software (CHASM, in this case) – the subject of this exercise.
  • Drains can then be designed and constructed to capture surface water
  • This has already been done in several vulnerable communities and is proven to have reduced the landslide hazard

[edit] Description of the existing landslide model

CHASM (Combined Stability and Hydrology Model) is an integrated slope hydrology/slope stability software package that aids the assessment of slope stability conditions. It is designed to help the user estimate the effects on slope stability of selected storm events, surface vegetation cover, slope plan curvatures and other important slope and material properties – it was the first slope stability code to incorporate dynamic hydrology (the key mechanism in rainfall-triggered landslides).

[edit] Description of the development needed

To use models like CHASM requires a certain level of modelling and geotechnical expertise in order to make a realistic analysis of a slope. The aim of this development is to make the technology available to government technicians and engineers who don’t have any modelling expertise but who have knowledge of the local slopes, basic field data and community accounts of slope processes.

[edit] Relevant Links

See www.chasm.info to find out about the software and its applications See www.mossaic.org for the wider context, and to see the difference that understanding slope processes can make when it comes to reducing the risk to communities.

Updated: For the most current information, please see the wiki page here: Access_to_Landslide_Prediction_Software_for_Risk_Reduction

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