Assessing the effectiveness of landslide slope stability by analysing structural mitigation measures and community risk perception

A. S. M. Maksud Kamal, Farhad Hossain, Bayes Ahmed (), Md. Zillur Rahman and Peter Sammonds
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A. S. M. Maksud Kamal: University of Dhaka
Farhad Hossain: University of Dhaka
Bayes Ahmed: University College London (UCL)
Md. Zillur Rahman: University of Dhaka
Peter Sammonds: University College London (UCL)

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2023, vol. 117, issue 3, No 12, 2393-2418

Abstract: Abstract Rainfall-induced landslides seriously threaten hilly environments, leading local authorities to implement various mitigation measures to decrease disaster risk. However, there is a significant gap in the current literature regarding evaluating their effectiveness and the associated community risk perception. To address this gap, we used an interdisciplinary and innovative approach to analyse the slope stability of landslides, evaluate the effectiveness of existing structural mitigation measures, and assess the risk perception of those living in danger zones. Our case study focused on the Kutupalong Rohingya Camp (KRC) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which is home to over one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Although various structural and non-structural countermeasures were implemented in the KRC to mitigate the impact of landslides, many of them failed to prevent landslides from occurring. We utilised a variety of methods from the physical sciences, including the infinite slope, limit equilibrium (LEM), and finite element (FEM) approaches, to calculate the factor of safety (FoS) for specific slopes. Additionally, in the social sciences domain, we conducted a questionnaire survey of approximately 400 Rohingya participants to assess the community’s perception of the interventions and the degree of disaster risk. Our findings indicated that slopes with a gradient greater than 40° were unstable (FoS 50°) and increased overburden loads (50–100 kN/m2). Different mitigation measures were tested on the identified unstable slopes to assess their effectiveness, but the results showed that the countermeasures only provided marginal protection against landslides. Survey results revealed that at least 70% of respondents believed that concrete retaining walls are more effective in reducing landslide occurrence compared to other measures. Additionally, about 60% of the respondents questioned the reliability of the existing structural mitigation measures. The study also found that the cohesion and friction angle of lower sandstone and the cohesion of upper soil layers are important factors to consider when designing and implementing slope protection countermeasures in the KRC area.

Keywords: Landslides; Slope stability; Countermeasure; Disaster risk perception; Structural mitigation measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-023-05947-6

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