METHODS TO MINIMISE DAMAGE

R.U. Cooke (1984) and W.J. Kochelman (1986) have proposed some methods for reducing the landslide hazard.

1. Avoidance One way is to avoid landslides by
controlling the location, timing and nature of development. The measures include:
. bypassing unstable areas;
. putting restrictions on land use;
. mapping of hazard-prone areas and land use zoning; . acquiring and restructuring of public property;
. spreading social awareness among people;
. disclosing the nature of hazard to prospective prop­
erty buyers;
. promoting insurance against hazard;
. giving financial assistance such as loans, tax credits,
etc., to promote the reduction of the hazard.

2. Reducing sheear stress One could reduce shear stress: . limit or reduce angles of slope, cut and fill;
. limit or reduce unit lengths of slope;
. remove unstable material.

3. Reducing shear stress and augmenting shear resis­tance
This could be achieved through an improved drain­age system which involves

. improving surface drainage that covers terrace drains
and other drains;
. improving subsurface drainage;
. controlling unsustainable agriculture.
4. Increasing shear resistance This would be through . retaining structures such as cribs or building retaining
walls;
. adoption of engineering methods by piling, tie-rods,
anchors etc.;
. building hard surface e.g., .concrete surface;
. controlling fill compaction.