Central America

Guidelines for landslide risk management in Central America

The guidelines for landslide risk management have been prepared as a result of RECLAIMM* project which was implemented jointly by CEPREDENAC** and NGI*** during 2005-2008 with participation of 16 persons from relevant organizations of six countries in Central America.

*

RECLAIMM : Regional Capacity Enhancement for Landslide Impact Mitigation

**

CEPREDENAC : Centro de Coordinacion para la Prevencion de los Desastres Naturales en America Central

***

NGI : Norwegian Geotechnical Institute

The guidelines were made available through the courtesy of CEPREDENAC secretariat. They are easily understandable and "practical" as RECLAIMM aimed at training of practitioners of middle management level and disseminating widely the knowledge and methodologies generated by the training. The guidelines are available in Spanish only as of now and will be useful not only for Central America but also for other Spanish speaking countries in the world.

The guidelines consist of the following three volumes. Please contact ISN for more details.

Guidelines for physical works for prevention/mitigation of landslides

1.

Risk management for landslides

2.

Landslides as natural risk

3.1

Types of landslides

3.2

Name of parts of a landslide mass

3.

Factors causing landslides

4.

Physical works for prevention/mitigation of landslides

4.1

Classification of works

4.2

Description of techniques for execution of works

4.2.1

Reduction of actual force

• a. Modification of gradient
• b. Drainage
• c. Protection of surface

4.2.2

Increase in resisting force

• a. Application of resisting force at the foot of the slope
  a.1. Retention wall a.2. Anchors a.3. Piles
• b. Increase in internal resistance
  b.1. Terre alme b.2. Soil nailing b.3. Injection b.4. Jet grouting

6.

Works in countries in Central America

• Panama
• Honduras
• Costa Rica
• Guatemala
• El Salvador

7.

Conclusions

• Physical Works Technical Guide Part 1 (PDF)
• Physical Works Technical Guide Part 2 (PDF)

Guidelines for municipalities

1.

Territorial planning and ordinances

1.1

Territorial planning : A tool to promote process of landslides risk reduction

1.2

Participatory strategic planning

1.3

Risk reduction applied to the theme of landslides

2.

Menace of landslides

2.1

Geomorphology and process of external geodynamics

2.2

The landslides

2.3

Classification of landslides

2.4

Factors which stimulate landslides process and slope instability

3.

Methods and tools for analysis of landslides

3.1

Methods of landslides analysis

4.

Relevant events

4.1

Good and bad practices

5.

Norm, regulation and control

5.1

Importance of regulation and norm

5.2

Disposition of mechanism and instruments in the context of local municipality

5.3

Information and instruments which municipalities should dispose for the works of regulation and control of areas susceptible to landslides

5.4

Basic requirement to consider by municipalities in the process of construction in risk areas

6.

Methods oriented for the reduction of landslides at municipality level

6.1

Methods for prevention, mitigation and preparation

6.2

System of early warning

6.2.1

Method of sensing, observation of landslides movements and types of instruments

• Technical Guide The threat by sliding in the municipal part 1 (PDF)
• Technical Guide The threat by sliding in the municipal part 2 (PDF)
• Technical Guide The threat by sliding in the municipal part 3 (PDF)
• Technical Guide The threat by sliding in the municipal part 4 (PDF)

Menace of landslides and monitoring at community

1.

Basic information

(1)

Terminology

(2)

Factors causing landslides (natural factors, human actions)

(3)

Types of landslides

(4)

Effects of landslides

(5)

Activities for risk reduction (prevention, mitigation)

2.

Works to be implemented

A)

Identification of landslides

B)

Rapid inventory survey in landslides area

C)

Evaluation of damage and needs for the community

D)

Record of landslides events

E)

Monitoring and actions to be followed

F)

Preparation for emergency situation

(1)

Emergency plan for family and community

• Responsibilities of social actors
• Means and actions for alert, Evacuation, rescue, temporal shelter
• Supply of basic needs
• Sanitation
• Attention (medical, psycho-social)
• Immediate actions for mitigation (cleaning of canals etc)
• Rehabilitation of basic services

(2)

Early warning system

Annex:

(1)

Format for "Rapid inventory survey"

(2)

Format for "Evaluation of damage and needs"

(3)

Format for "Historical record of events"

• Technical Guide the threat of landslides and monitoring communal Part 1 (PDF)
• Technical Guide the threat of landslides and monitoring communal Part 2 (PDF)
• Technical Guide the threat of landslides and monitoring communal Part 3 (PDF)
• Technical Guide the threat of landslides and monitoring communal Part 4 (PDF)
• Technical Guide the threat of landslides and monitoring communal part 5 (PDF)

CEPREDENAC ( http://www.sica.int/cepredenac/ )