PERCEPTION OF HAZARD AND RESPONSE

A developing country like Jamaica cannot sustain recurrent economic losses, disruptions and attendant human miseries due to landslides. It is unfortunate that the indexing of natural disasters on the basis of low frequency, dramatic events, such as hurricanes and earthquakes has led to an underestimation of the extent and economic significance of slope failures. Recent advances in the understanding of slope instability suggest that landslides are perhaps the most amenable of the disasters to measures directed toward avoidance, prevention or correction.
In Jamaica, however, there is no mechanism for responding to the landslide hazard. There are no landslide loss reduction programmes and as far as we know, the issue is not addressed in any of the National Contingency Plans. Although landslides continue to cause significant economic losses on a recurrent basis, a significant landslide event is not perceived as a "disaster." This perception must change and our response to natural hazards must be proactive rather than reactive.

There is an urgent need for a National Landslide Management Programme with emphasis on loss reduction. The preparation of community level landslide hazard zonation maps should be the first step in this direction. These maps should form the basis for public education programmes, community-based action and monitoring, and land use planning. The NGOs'could play a vital role in facilitating the delivery of the community-based programmes. The Preston experience suggests that it is the responsibility of the local population to learn about the hazard and to prepare itself accordingly.

The UWI Department of Geology has been engaged, since 1986, in a systematic study of geohazards (especially landslides) and their environmental impact in Jamaica. The results of these studies are available in the form of research papers in the scientific journals, postgraduate reports, and undergraduate student project reports to all those interested.