The Jamaican landmass is especially subject to landslides because of particular combination of geological history and rock type, its structure and tectonic setting, and the geographic location. The occurrence of landslides on the island is not a random phenomenon and is controlled by the inherent factors of site geology, structure and geomorphology. A large scale, preliminary landslide hazard zonation map of the island is given in Fig. 9. It may be noted that the ideal landslide habitats are the interior mountain ranges of eastern and central Jamaica. Ahmad (1995) has provided a detailed account of lithology and structure on the formation of landslides in the island.

A wide variety of landslide types are known on the island. Debris flows that commonly occur after heavy rainfall throughout the island are often locally mistaken for floods. These slides cause significant damage to the human infrastructure. The debris and boulders generated by the landslides are known to have temporarily blocked many rivers on the island by forming landslide dams, thus causing upstream flooding. Erosion due to floodwater results in the undercutting of valley slopes leading to slope failures. The causes of accelerated soil erosion on the island are intimately linked to landslides. In the catchment of Hermitage Reservoir in upper St. Andrew, it appears that landslide debris causes the siltation of the reservoir (Fig.10).
The landslide hazard in Jamaica is to a large extent a consequence of changing land use and much of the damage continues to occur in the physical environment that has been modified for human use. The severity of the hazard will continue to increase as new development encroaches onto potentially unstable slopes(Fig. 11).