Landslides in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka has been affected in the last part of the 20th century by an average of 20 to 50 landslides per year. However, since 2002, the number of slope failure has sharply increased up to 350 events per year. This has caused a great number of casualties and damages to properties which had a tremendous impact on the socio-economical texture of the local communities affecting also the human perception of such natural disaster that it used to be a minor issue in the past. This thesis focuses on the particular geological setting of the island and its key characteristics which is the starting point of the study of the slope failure. Statistical analysis and consideration about previous event also help to understand the reasons and the nature of these events which have been grown exponentially in the last 50 years. The result shows a relationship among the worst slope failure events in terms of type, geology involved and mass mobility.