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Webinar -“Recurring Landslide and way forward”

Background

A Webinar entitled “Recurring Landslide and Way Forward” was organized by DPNet-Nepal on 16^th July 2020. The program was organized as a part of the knowledge management theme of DPNet-Nepal. The program was chaired by Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa, Chairperson of DPNet-Nepal, whereas the Chief Executive of NDRRMA Mr. Anil Pokhrel joined the program as a Chief Guest. Dr. Kabi Raj Paudel, Coordinator for MSc Engineering Geology, Central Department of Geology, TU, Dr. Jib Raj Pokhrel, Former Vice-Chancellor and Academician of NAST, Dr. Prem Bahadur Thapa, Program Coordinator for MSc Engineering Geology at Tri-Chandra College joined the program as a resource person. Altogether, 75 representatives from various organizations participated in the program. The zoom service for the webinar was supported by NSET.

Major Highlight

Mr. Anil Pokhrel initiated the program by reading the banner. Mr. Raju Thapa, General Secretary of DPNet-Nepal, shared the objectives of the program and welcomed all participants. The program was followed by presentations from the resource persons.

Dr. Kabi Raj Paudel presented the status of landslides in Nepal and the way forward. He briefly shared the geology of Nepal, natural disasters in tectonic units in Nepal, types of landslides, potential region for frequent landslides occurrence, examples of major landslides, improper practices of road excavation. The presentation also included the mitigation measures of landslides, the case study of various landslides and recommendations to reduce the risk of landslides. He also stated that the major cause of landslide in Nepal is geology and the major triggering factors are concentrated precipitation, developmental activity, quarry, and deforestation. He insisted on deploying engineering geologists on road construction. He also requested the MoHA, NDRRMA, and concerned authorities to collaborate with university for research and study. Furthermore, he also focused on the role of federal, provincial, and local governments to control landslides and apply mitigation measures. He concluded the presentation stating that we need to identify the possible landslide area, possible cause, and apply mitigation and prevention measures rather than conducting post landslide studies.

Dr. Jib Raj Pokhrel and Dr. Prem Bahadur Thapa jointly presented the cost-effective technology for reducing landslide risk. Dr. Pokhrel presented the loss due to landslides and said there are very high and modern technologies to control landslides, however, emphasized using the local skills, local resources, and local plants to control the landslide and reduce the risk. The presentation also included the reasons for landslides, information about cost-effective community-based landslide risk reduction and examples of work done by TU and NAST, explanation of technical knowledge to the community people to identify the cracks and treatment measures. Furthermore, the laser scanning of landslides technology was also shared in the presentation. The presenters emphasized on deploying network members of DPNet and NGO’s to share with the local government about the use of cost-effective technology. The video focusing on tension crack sealing by the community people was also demonstrated in the presentation.

Major Concerns:

• DPNet may organize similar programs for a flood. DPNet-Nepal can organize such programs with local organizations and local government and the network can also support NDRRMA in localizing this useful information and such programs should be disseminated through radio and television.
• What about the possibility of regional early warning systems and the use of local information to control the landslide in hilly regions of Nepal or to relocate the settlement.
• We need to work a lot systematically on landslide susceptibility maps, landslide hazard maps, and landslide hazard assessments.
• Information about hydrometeorology for early warning systems is important to reduce the risk, so the DHM information should be disseminated throughout the local level community and concerned authorities.
• We need to work on the organizational strengthening of NDRRMA, what we could do at the Federal level, Province level, and local.
• Immediately after the monsoon, we need to study and document the learning of the huge loss and possible causes of landslide this year.
• It’s high time to control the excessive use of dozer for road construction without the geological and engineering knowledge.
• How is NDRRMA planning to take the issues of loss of landslides and floods?

Major Response

• Relocating the settlement may be an option. But we need to study the cracks, tension and practice the early warning system, bioengineering techniques, and drainage management and its success before taking the decision of relocation. We need to adopt a low cost and sustainable approach.
• There is a need to adopt cut slope theory and compensate tree plantation and drainage should not be left as it is while using dozer for road construction and consider low-cost technology. We have a mindset on road construction only not about the possible impacts.
• Local government should mandatorily adopt low-cost technology for reducing the risk of landslide.
• Risk assessment is important and we are working on it and low-cost technology can be shared upon request.

Closing

Mr. Anil Pokhrel in his remarks shared that due to the support of all, NDRRMA has been able to bring the monsoon preparedness and response action plan 2020. The challenge for these two months is a landslide, though we have communicated the early warning information couple of days earlier, the loss of 100 lives in 1^st 20 days of monsoon is painful. Actionable risk information is a major gap. We need to collate this information and prepare the plan accordingly. We need to work on sector-specific integration. We need to work on a collective way with collective actions together.

Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa thanked presenters for delivering the important knowledge and information in this forum. And also expressed such information should be provided to decision-makers. He also emphasizes the use of a science-based approach to reducing the landslide risk rather than working on an ad-hoc basis. He also thanked participants, NSET for providing technical support to organize this program, the DPNet-Nepal team for successfully organizing this webinar, and closed the program.