Expert explains cause of landslides, advises on prevention measures
Dozens of landslides have occurred across the country since June, with some causing severe consequences and human losses. Associate Professor, Dr Tran Tan Van, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), spoke with VietnamPlus about the causes of landslides and measures to prevent and mitigate losses from the natural disaster.
According to the scientist, there are two main factors that caused recent landslides. The first one is prolonged rains which caused the soil and slopes to become unstable. Second, human activity affects the stability of soil and rock masses in sloping areas.
Taking note of the fact that most landslides in recent years occurred at sites adjacent to roads, the scientist said this is a grave concern. According to him, the construction of roads across mountains and hills often destroys the natural footslope, raising the risk of landslides. Therefore, it is necessary to invest in construction measures to strengthen the slope to ensure safety, which has to this point been neglected in many cases.
