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https://theconversation.com/landslides-and-law-cyclone-gabrielle-raises-serious-questions-about-where-weve-been-allowed-to-build-200250>
"Given the death toll, it’s important we consider the impacts of Cyclone
Gabrielle sensitively. But we must also begin looking into the history of
land-use and planning decisions in areas worst hit by landslides.
One such area is the beach community at Muriwai in West Auckland, where two
volunteer firefighters were tragically killed in a landslide.
Several homes were cut off by slips. Residents on the steep terrain of Domain
Crescent were told to evacuate on foot, rather than drive, because the land was
so unstable.
Landslides can be a deadly hazard, but only when people are exposed to them. A
landslide high in the Tararua mountain ranges is unlikely to pose a risk to
anyone. But living near or within a landslide zone poses a clear risk.
This can be summarised as: risk = hazard x exposure x vulnerability.
Muriwai offers a case study of that equation. We already have a good
understanding of the soils, landscape, geomorphology and exposure to landslide
hazards – as well as the history of planning decisions that allowed houses to
be built on land prone to slips."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
