ABSTRACT
Jamaica has one of the highest natural hazard risk exposures in the world, with more than 90% of the population exposed to two or more natural hazards. The island is particularly prone to multiple hazards, including hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding (riverine and coastal) and slope instability, due to its geographical position (within the track of Atlantic hurricanes and its location on the Caribbean ‘tectonic’ plate) and its topography and geology. Of these hazards, slope instability is one of the most common. Landslides are predominantly triggered by seismic activities and heavy rainfall associated with hurricanes and tropical depressions. These landslides have caused loss of lives, widespread destruction to the built and natural environment and long-term damage to the socioeconomic development of the country. The slope instability problem is compounded by the lack of awareness of the impact by the general public, developers and planners, as well as uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization. This research explores the spatial distribution of landslide damage in Jamaica on both a local and a national scale. It examines the physical, social and economic impacts of slope instability; the causes; and the management strategies being utilized to better mitigate the impact of this natural phenomenon.
