USES OF LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPS:

Preparation of landslide hazard zonation maps is a relatively young scientific pursuit.
In some cases, the methodologies employed in map preparation are still in an experimental stage and many of the published hazard maps have not been field-tested.
It was possible, however, to field test the hazard maps produced in this study

FOLLOWING THE HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE MITCH AND RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATIONARY COLD FRONTS DURING 15TH OCTOBER AND 9TH NOVEMBER 1998 WIDESPREAD LANDSLIDES WERE TRIGGERED IN KMA. OVER 200 LANDSLIDE WERE MAPPED IN THE AREA AND A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THIS DATA VALIDATES THE ACCURACY OF THE KMA LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPS.

Listed below are the main recommendations that will benefit a wide variety of users concerned with environmental management including disaster managers, planners and engineers.

Landslide susceptibility maps can be used to:

(a) - Recognize geographic areas where landsliding has already occurred and future landsliding is most likely, in other words , this map helps in understanding the constraints on land use and the scale of the landslide problems;

(b) - Adopt appropriate strategies for dealing with the problems that may arise because of landslides on marginally stable slopes;

(c) - Prepare for, modify, and/or mitigate the disastrous effects of landslides on communities and infrastructure by means of appropriate engineering practice and building codes;

(d) - Regulating new development in hazardous areas through planning controls; - and

(e) - Public education.