Landslide fatalities are greater than previously thought

Landslides kill ten times more people across the world than was previously thought, according to research by Durham University, UK. A new database of hazards shows that 32,300 people died in landslides between 2004 and 2010. Previous estimates ranged from 3,000 to 7,000 fatalities. The database, which provides the first detailed analysis of fatal landslides across the world, maps hotspots including China, Central and South America, and India. The researchers say that the new database, the Durham Fatal Landslide Database (DFLD), can help policymakers to prioritise areas for action to manage hazards and to lessen the risks to human populations living in hotspot regions. The findings are published in the journal Geology. Lead researcher, Professor David Petley, a Geographer at the International Landslide Centre, and Co-Director of The Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, Durham University, said: "The environmental effects of landslides are often devastating for nearby human populations.