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Anthropogenic activity triggering landslides in densely populated mountain areas

Abstract:

Flooding, landsliding and accelerated erosion are common hazards in tropical mountainous regions around the world. The aim of this study is to analyse the triggering factors of landslides in densely populated areas with different land cover dynamics. Landslide inventories and land cover data were derived from optical remote sensing data for different periods in time. Our results indicate that human activities significantly increased the landslide hazard. We observed an increase in the occurrence of landslides after deforestation and road construction. The financial and environmental losses that are associated with these landslides might induce some negative feedback mechanisms leading to a deceleration of deforestation rates. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.