hkskyline
June 2nd, 2005, 07:45 AM
UBC conference looks at landslides
Experts say more human development encroaching on steep, unstable slopes
Doug Ward
Vancouver Sun
31 May 2005
NORTH VANCOUVER - Five months after an avalanche of debris killed one woman and destroyed two homes in North Vancouver, more than 200 landslide experts are meeting at the University of B.C. to discuss how to prevent similar catastrophes on a global level.
The first International Conference on Landslide Risk Management, which begins today, is a response to the enormous human and property losses stemming from landslides worldwide, UBC landslide specialist Oldrich Hungr said Monday.
"The January 2005 North Vancouver landslide and this winter's events in California are reminders of the higher landslide risk in communities around the world," said Hungr, one of the conference's co-chairs.
The Jan. 19 North Vancouver landslide, besides sweeping away two homes, forced the temporary evacuation of 70 homes. During the same month, winter storms caused mudslides on the California coast that killed 10 people.
The threat posed by landslides is increasing due to urbanization, said Hungr. More and more residential developments, regulated or not, are being built on slopes with landslide risks, he said.
"Landslides are becoming more important because there is more at stake. Human development is encroaching on steep, often-unstable slopes, more frequently, everywhere."
Conference officials said it is not clear if landslides are more frequent worldwide. But their impact is greater than ever because increasing numbers of people liveon unstable slopes.
In the Lower Mainland, residential development is widespread on sloping terrain, said geotechnical scientist Garry Stevenson, a conference co-chair. He noted people are moving into Fraser Valley hillside homes because of a view.
Landslides on a global scale are among the costliest and most tragic of natural disasters. B.C. has so far experienced limited losses despite its steep terrain.
Indeed, the average annual risk of death for a British Columbian by a landslide is about one in one million, Hungr said. And landslide cost as a percentage of the provincial Gross Domestic Product is less than 0.2 per cent -- a small figure compared to the one to five per cent suffered by some South American and Asian countries, he added.
Nevertheless, increasing development pressures in B.C. raises the risk of landslides, which poses an enormous policy dilemma for municipal officials. One landslide can trigger years of costly litigation.
While the landslide risks have increased, so has awareness of the hazards, said Hungr. Developers of residential projects on hazardous slopes are now required by legislation to have a certificate from a registered engineer ensuring that the land is safe for development, he added.
Topics at the four-day conference range from landslide prediction, to early warning systems, to assessing and managing landslide risks in both urban and rural areas.
Experts say more human development encroaching on steep, unstable slopes
Doug Ward
Vancouver Sun
31 May 2005
NORTH VANCOUVER - Five months after an avalanche of debris killed one woman and destroyed two homes in North Vancouver, more than 200 landslide experts are meeting at the University of B.C. to discuss how to prevent similar catastrophes on a global level.
The first International Conference on Landslide Risk Management, which begins today, is a response to the enormous human and property losses stemming from landslides worldwide, UBC landslide specialist Oldrich Hungr said Monday.
"The January 2005 North Vancouver landslide and this winter's events in California are reminders of the higher landslide risk in communities around the world," said Hungr, one of the conference's co-chairs.
The Jan. 19 North Vancouver landslide, besides sweeping away two homes, forced the temporary evacuation of 70 homes. During the same month, winter storms caused mudslides on the California coast that killed 10 people.
The threat posed by landslides is increasing due to urbanization, said Hungr. More and more residential developments, regulated or not, are being built on slopes with landslide risks, he said.
"Landslides are becoming more important because there is more at stake. Human development is encroaching on steep, often-unstable slopes, more frequently, everywhere."
Conference officials said it is not clear if landslides are more frequent worldwide. But their impact is greater than ever because increasing numbers of people liveon unstable slopes.
In the Lower Mainland, residential development is widespread on sloping terrain, said geotechnical scientist Garry Stevenson, a conference co-chair. He noted people are moving into Fraser Valley hillside homes because of a view.
Landslides on a global scale are among the costliest and most tragic of natural disasters. B.C. has so far experienced limited losses despite its steep terrain.
Indeed, the average annual risk of death for a British Columbian by a landslide is about one in one million, Hungr said. And landslide cost as a percentage of the provincial Gross Domestic Product is less than 0.2 per cent -- a small figure compared to the one to five per cent suffered by some South American and Asian countries, he added.
Nevertheless, increasing development pressures in B.C. raises the risk of landslides, which poses an enormous policy dilemma for municipal officials. One landslide can trigger years of costly litigation.
While the landslide risks have increased, so has awareness of the hazards, said Hungr. Developers of residential projects on hazardous slopes are now required by legislation to have a certificate from a registered engineer ensuring that the land is safe for development, he added.
Topics at the four-day conference range from landslide prediction, to early warning systems, to assessing and managing landslide risks in both urban and rural areas.