Week 8: Mass Wasting Hazards

This week I am going to dive into he topic of mass wasting events like landslides, mudslides, rockslides, and there relationship between flooding and rain.

In Belgium it is not discussed as frequently as other regions despite this mass wasting events still pose a big risk. While the country does not experience high rates of seismic activity heavy rainfall and periods of drought can trigger landslides and mudslides. Using Belgium's topography its varied terrain with hilly regions and valleys make certain areas more likely to experience these hazards especially those close to slopes or mountain ranges. 

Belgium has experienced small scale landslides in the past specifically in areas with mountain ranges or mining and construction sites that reshape the environment. These landslides cause local damage but typically do not reach the magnitudes that are seen in countries with more geological features.

To further protect themselves from hazards Belgium should focus on increasing awareness among residents like educating schools with information, understanding characteristics of the soil, and providing appropriate planning and infrastructure measures when these disasters occur.

Sources: 

https://www.africamuseum.be/publication_docs/Dewitte%20et%20al.%20-%202018.pdf

     

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Above-Gocad-model-of-the-Beverce-landslide-Belgium-showing-contour-lines-and_fig4_318093357

https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/27-belgium/LS