The tale of three landslides in the Western Ghats, India: lessons to be learnt

A study of three devastating landslides in Kerala, India, during the 2021 monsoon season reveals that intense rainfall—exceeding 266 mm in under 24 hours—serves as a universal trigger, while underlying causes vary. The Kokkayar landslide was primarily driven by anthropogenic agricultural activities, Plappally by geomorphic and tectonic processes combined with human influence, and Kavali by forest fragmentation on thin soil. These findings underscore the critical role of precise rainfall forecasting in establishing early warning thresholds to mitigate future disasters. The research combines ground-based data with satellite imagery to analyze these events, providing actionable insights for disaster preparedness in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site prone to landslide risks.

Ajin, R. S., Nandakumar, D., Rajaneesh, A., Oommen, T., Ali, Y. P., & Sajinkumar, K. S. (2022). The tale of three landslides in the Western Ghats, India: lessons to be learnt. Geoenvironmental Disasters, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40677-022-00218-1