On the economic benefits of rural roads in Nepal
A new paper (Adhikari et al. 2026) in the journal Asian Development Review shows that earthen roads in the hilly areas of Nepal generate limited economic benefits but carry a high landslide cost. Loyal readers of this blog will have seen many posts that cover the problematic landslide history of low technology rural roads in Nepal. I have demonstrated repeatedly that these so-called “bulldozer” roads, built with low levels engineering input, lead to large numbers of landslides. However, the arguments in favour of these roads focus on the benefits of rural access – essentially these corridors provide access to education,…
The 12 March 2026 Kursebi landslide in Georgia
A large landslide in Tkibuli municipality has rendered 45 families homeless and has caused damage over an area of 58 hectares. Early in the morning of 12 March 2026, a landslide struck a small village in Tkibuli municipality of rural Georgia. The Kursebi landslide has rendered 45 families homeless, causing damage over a surface area of about 58 hectares. At least ten houses have been completely destroyed. The location of the landslide is [42.30907, 42.79007]. There is a very good article about this landslide on the OC Media website and there is a video of some images of the aftermath…
The unusual 1 June 2025 Dingqing landslide on the Tibetan Plateau
A new paper (Yunjian et al. 2026) in the journal Landslides discusses a 2 million cubic metre landslide that was triggered by freeze-thaw processes. On 1 June 2025, the Dingqing landslide occurred on the Tibetan Plateau. The landslide struck a temporary encampment being used by collectors of medicinal fungus, killing ten people. This landslide has been analysed in a new paper (Yunjian et al. 2026) published in the journal Landslides. It is quite an unusual example. The location of the landslide is helpfully given by Yunjian et al. (2026) as [95.219465, 32.268166] (well done to them for providing the location…
Monitoring pre- and post-failure InSAR-derived deformation in surface mining complexes
A new paper in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation uses InSAR to explore the complex patterns of deformation that occur in and around large mining operations. I have frequently discussed landslides in mining operations on this site, highlighting repeatedly the unacceptable losses that result from slope failures. In many cases, these…
A renewed phase of movement at the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex in Rancho Palos Verdes
Heavy winter rainfall has triggered further movement at this infamous landslide site in California, causing damage to properties and infrastructure The Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex in Rancho Palos Verdes in California frequently makes news headlines as phases of movement cause property damage. California has suffered a wet winter, which has driven a new phase of…
Fatal landslides in Nepal since 1968
Since 1968, there have been over 1,400 fatal landslides in Nepal, killing over 6,000 people. I’m currently writing a paper on the patterns of fatal landslides in Nepal since 1968. This is an update on the paper we wrote almost 20 years ago (Petley et al. 2007) that examined the changing patterns of landslides there.…
Global fatal landslides in January and February 2026
The number of fatal landslides in 2026 to the end of February was considerably above both the long term mean and the year with the highest total, 2024. To bring everything back up to date, I am providing an update on fatal landslides for both January and February 2026. As usual, this data has been…
The 8 March 2026 garbage landslide at the Bantar Gebang Integrated Waste Processing Site in Bekasi, Indonesia
A major failure triggered by heavy rainfall killed seven people. On 8 March 2026, a moderately-sized garbage landslide occurred at the the Bantar Gebang Integrated Waste Processing Site in Bekasi, on the margins of Jakarta in Indonesia. The landslide, which occurred at 14:30 local time, reportedly struck a series of trucks associated with the dump.…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Connect with Dave:
About Dave
Dave Petley is the Vice-Chancellor and President of Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. His blog provides commentary and analysis of landslide events occurring worldwide, including the landslides themselves, latest research, and conferences and meetings.