Landslides in the Himalayan Region : Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategy for Sustainable Management

This book explores a platform for insightful discussions and scientific discourse on various aspects of landslides and their risk management, with insights focused on the Himalayan states at a sub-regional level. A fundamental reference is thus provided for further research not only in landslides but also in associated natural hazards. The book is divided into four major parts, starting from conceptual models in approaching landslide risk, followed by evaluation of risk, management of landslide risk, end-to-end solutions for landslide risk assessment, and a synopsis. Included are topics such as the nature of landslide hazard impact, scale dependency in landslide hazard and risk analysis, and systematic procedures of landslide hazard mapping for risk assessment using spatial prediction models. The book also covers such important aspects as the response of the insurance industry to landslide risk and the role of administrative bodies in landslide risk assessment and sustainable management. Readers gain ample knowledge through case studies regarding the types of landslides in the Himalayan region, which will help them in their future research hypotheses.

Dr. Uday Chatterjee is an assistant professor at the Department of Geography, Bhatter College, Dantan, India, and an applied geographer with a doctoral degree in applied geography awarded by Ravenshaw University, India. His research interests include urban planning, social and human geography, applied geomorphology, hazards and disasters, environmental issues, disaster governance, community-based disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and urban risk management. Currently, Dr. Chatterjee is involved in an international project in collaboration with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan, funded by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research. He has served as a reviewer for many international journals and is a guest editor of the special issue “Social Ecology, Human Well-being and Sustainability” of the Springer journal Global Social Welfare. He has published 30 research papers, 10 edited books, 2 authored books, 11 book chapters, and 2 conference proceedings.

Dr. K.C. Lalmalsawmzauva was awarded his Ph.D. from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in 2012. He was the founder and the president of the NEHU-Geographical Research Forum (NEHU-GRF) and has served as an assistant professor at Mizoram University since 2011. He completed projects for the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and was involved in a project of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for agricultural development in hill regions. He also served as a co-principal investigator in the consultancy project National Rural Livelihood Mission, supported by the Government of Mizoram, India. He has published 3 books as a single author and 4 books as a co-author and more than 20 research papers. He regularly participates in national and international academic activities.

Dr. Brototi Biswas is an associate professor at the Department of Geography and Resource Management, Mizoram University, India. Her research interests include physical geography, climate change, urban planning, applied climatology, hazards and disasters, oceanography, social geography, natural resource management, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and environmental issues. She received the Best Teacher Award in 2013 from Maharashtra Dalit Sahitya Academy. She has completed 4 research projects as the principal investigator (PI) and has an ongoing research project as the PI. She serves as a reviewer for many international journals. She has published 45 research papers, 1 authored book, 7 book chapters, and 10 conference proceedings.

Dr. Subodh Chandra Pal is an assistant professor at the Postgraduate Department of Geography, the University of Burdwan, India. He received his Ph.D. in geography from Visva-Bharati University in 2015. His expertise includes fluvial geomorphology, pedo-geomorphology, land degradation, soil erosion, gully erosion, landslide vulnerability, climate change, and water resources monitoring and management and has published hundreds of research articles in renowned journals. His research work has been funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India. Dr. Pal has served as a reviewer for many international journals.