NON-TECHNICAL LANDSLIDE GUIDES – A TOOL FOR ADVANCING LANDSLIDE SCIENCE

As the pace of scientific research accelerates, the average citizen is faced increasingly with having to grapple with matters of science in his everyday life. Technical information about landslides is complex, and can be confusing to the average person. Rapid changes in landslide technology and information dissemination can add to the confusion. The non-scientist is at a disadvantage because of the lack of usable information to engage as an informed, independent thinker, in important private land-use decisions as well as public policy challenges. Understandable geologic information—about the land surface, what lies beneath it and what processes shape the landscape—is needed to ensure safe and economically sound land use. Non-technical guides that describe and illustrate the geologic information associated with landslides are essential for the non-scientist to begin to make informed decisions. Citizen understanding of landslides increases awareness of the associated hazards and helps ensure the quality and consistency of professional practice.

Much of landslide research is performed through the integration of earth sciences such as geomorphology, soil and rock mechanics, physics, and geological engineering. This research is often described in terms of complicated modeling, analyses, and terminology which are mostly unfamiliar to the average person. Consequently, there are often wide gaps between the science itself, and how that science can then inform outcomes associated with hazard and risk analysis, for example. Guides that are the most effective present understandable language, glossaries of terms, illustrative photos and graphs, further references for more technical information, and are low-cost if possible. Good examples of landslide guides exist worldwide, and the there are various ways to best to distribute this information. Examples of worldwide landslide non-technical publications which deal with basic guidelines and public outreach will be presented, as well as the methods that were used to disseminate the information to those tasked with landslide education, land-use issues, mitigation and development of effective hazard alert and warning systems.