Social Impacts of Landslide Disasters with Special Reference to Sri Lanka

Abstract

Disaster call be explained as an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and, causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community. Any disaster event is tagged with tremendous impact to the society or community. Thus, Social Impacts of Landslides can be defined as "the consequences to human populations of any Landslide incident that alter the ways in which people live, work and spend their leisure time, relate to one another, organize to meet their needs and generally cope as members of society including changes 10 the cultural norms, values, and beliefs that guide and rationalize their cognition of themselves and their society ". Hence, any consequence caused as a result of a landslide, which eventually leads to alter the day to day life-styles, livelihood patterns, cultural integrity and social networks of affected family/s or a neighbourhood can be classified as a Social Impact.

Scope of the Problem Of the 65,000 sq. kill of the land area of the island of Sri Lanka, nearly 12,000 kill spread over seven of its administrative districts are highly prone to landslides. Scientific studies have revealed that the frequency of landslides is on the increase particularly because of the unplanned intensive cultivation, nOI1 - engineered constructions, deforestation, neglect of land, and ever increasing human intervention. Although humans create and contribute to landslide events, they are also the sufferers of these dreadful events. This paper will focus on the Social Impacts of Landslide Disasters in Sri Lanka with special reference to May -2003 and January -2007 incidents in Matara and Nuwara Eliya Districts respectively.

Objective of this paper is to explore the Social Impacts of Landslides with reference to Deaths, Displacement, Personnel & Social Insecurity, Health Issues, Issues of Women & Children, Psychological Reactions, Involuntary Resettlement, Legal Issues and Recovery & Reconstruction Needs. This paper includes information gathered and experiences gained from the research conducted among the May 2007 landslide affectedfamilies in the Deniyaya area of the Matara District and the field observations carried out among families that experienced similar disasters in mid January 2007 in Walapane and Hanguranketha areas of the Nuwara Eliya District of Sri Lanka.

A Questionnaire Survey was carried out among the affectedfamiliesjust one week after the May-2003 landslides in the Southern Sri Lanka. In the Research Methodology techniques such as field observations. recording of case studies. collection of spatial data and geographical coordinations of the affected areas using Global Positioning Systems (GPS - MLR - SP24) were also used in this research headed by the author of this paper. in collaboration with several members of the academic staff and about 70 under graduates of the Department of Geography of University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka. Field observations and informal interviews were conducted afew days after the January - 2007land5lide incidents in central Sri Lanka among the affected families and formal meetings were held with officials to collect information.

Major Issues Addressed The population and social structures of the landslide affected areas were seriously affected mainly by the number of human deaths. During the period 1869 to 2003. there were about 178 reported landslides all over Sri Lanka. causing over 455 deaths. The impacts of landslides have worsened during the last 25 years and 85% of deaths have occurred during this period The worst ever landslide disasters in the history of Sri Lanka were reported in May-2003 with 188 deaths and 139. 000 displaced. Further, the landslides of January - 2007 in Sri Lanka have claimed 21 lives while over 4.200 have been displaced. In the past 25 years from 1982 to 2007 landslides have killed 403 persons and affected over 150.000 families while around 28 billion rupees (US$ 28 million) had been incurred on relief and reconstruction efforts. Landslide disasters in May-2003 were solely accountable for 96% of the above expenditure.

Conclusion Social impacts of landslide disasters in Sri Lanka are immense and the effects more pronounced during the last 25 years. Thus landslide mitigation strategies that harmonize with the natural environment need to be implemented vigilantly in landslide prone areas.