Brief communication: Weak correlation between building damage and loss of life from landslides

Authors

• Maximillian Van Wyk De Vries, University of Cambridge
• Alexandre Dunant, Faculty of Social Sciences & Health
• Amy L. Johnson, Georgia College & State University
• Erin L. Harvey, Faculty of Social Sciences & Health
• Sihan Li, The University of Sheffield
• Katherine Arrell, University of Northumbria
• Jeevan Baniya, Social Science Baha
• Dipak Basnet, Social Science Baha
• Gopi K. Basyal, National Society for Earthquake Technology
• Nyima Dorjee Bhotia, Social Science Baha
• Simon J. Dadson, University of Oxford
• Alexander L. Densmore, Faculty of Social Sciences & Health
• Tek Bahadur Dong, Social Science Baha
• Mark E. Kincey, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Katie Oven, University of Northumbria
• Anuradha Puri, Social Science Baha
• Nick J. Rosser, Faculty of Social Sciences & Health

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-11-2025

Publication Title

Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences

Abstract

Mapping exposure to landslides is necessary to mitigate risk and increase resilience. Exposure maps can be constructed from building databases, akin to seismic risk assessments, but there has been little investigation of the predictive relationship between building damage from landslides and risk to human life. Our study investigates this relationship globally and in Nepal (47 213 and 5664 landslides, respectively). While a correlation exists for nationwide totals (R2 Combining double low line 0.75), it is negligible for individual events (R2 Combining double low line 0.025). It is important to not construct landslide exposure maps from building datasets alone, else building damage may be inadvertently prioritised over human lives in disaster planning.

Volume Number

25

Issue Number

6

First Page

1937

Last Page

1942

DOI

10.5194/nhess-25-1937-2025

Recommended Citation

Van Wyk De Vries, Maximillian; Dunant, Alexandre; Johnson, Amy L.; Harvey, Erin L.; Li, Sihan; Arrell, Katherine; Baniya, Jeevan; Basnet, Dipak; Basyal, Gopi K.; Bhotia, Nyima Dorjee; Dadson, Simon J.; Densmore, Alexander L.; Dong, Tek Bahadur; Kincey, Mark E.; Oven, Katie; Puri, Anuradha; and Rosser, Nick J., "Brief communication: Weak correlation between building damage and loss of life from landslides" (2025). Faculty and Staff Works. 893.
https://kb.gcsu.edu/fac-staff/893