Mounting perils: The growing threat of landslides in India

From Wayanad to the Himalayas, India’s alarming rise in landslides is linked to climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable development practices.

Volunteers look for survivors through debris on July 31, 2024 in Mundakkai village, Wayanad, Kerala. Rescue efforts are ongoing to locate survivors amidst the destruction, with the death toll expected to rise further as the full extent of the disaster becomes clear. | Photo Credit: Abhishek Chinnappa

The disastrous landslide in Wayanad, which claimed more than 250 lives, has put the spotlight back on the growing threat of climate change and the extreme climatic events it triggers in India. In recent years, India has witnessed an alarming surge in landslides, transforming a once localised threat into a nationwide concern. According to reports, India recorded 3,285 landslides between 2015 and 2022, with a significant increase in frequency over this period. The Geological Survey of India reports that about 12.6 per cent of India’s land area, excluding snow-covered regions, is prone to landslides.

From the Western Ghats to the Himalayas, communities across the country are grappling with these devastating geological events. In Kerala alone, the State Disaster Management Authority documented over 500 landslides between 2018 and 2020. The Himalaya, home to about 50 million people, have seen a 30 per cent increase in landslide incidents over the past two decades, as reported by the National Institute of Disaster Management. The India Meteorological Department has recorded a 34 per cent increase in extreme rainfall events since the 1950s, while the Forest Survey of India reports a loss of 1,582 sq km of dense forest cover between 2019 and 2021.

In this context, we have curated a comprehensive package that explores the multifaceted nature of this crisis, delving into the root causes, immediate impacts, and long-term implications. The stories here examine how climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable development practices have converged to create environmental instability. These in-depth reports uncover the human stories behind the headlines, from the tragic Irshalwadi landslide that claimed 29 lives to the ongoing struggles of disaster victims in places like Saddal.

Our coverage also looks into the response of authorities and policymakers, questioning the effectiveness of current disaster management strategies and the urgent need for a more sustainable approach to development in fragile ecosystems. As India faces this growing peril, with economic losses from landslides estimated at over $400 million annually according to the World Bank, our reports aim to shed light on the complex interplay of factors contributing to the crisis and the critical steps needed to safeguard communities and the environment in the face of an increasingly uncertain future.