Global Death Toll From Landslides

A recent paper by Dave Petley in the journal Geology takes data from across the globe to quantify and map the spatial variation in deaths caused by landslides in terms. The data is for non-seismic landslides between 2004 and 2010, over 32,000 deaths and over 2,500 landslides. A number of ‘hotspots’ are identified including the Indonesia, southern and eastern coastal region of China and central China (Sichuan basin). The report is useful in identifying recent patterns in deaths and so, by implication, landslide risk. Dave Petley suggests that:


"Areas with a combination of high relief, intense rainfall, and a high population density are most likely to experience high numbers of fatal landslides"

For information on the paper go to the BBC report or to Dave's landsldie blog