Landslide and Flood Early Warning System

Landslide and Flood Early Warning System

Part of: Prelims and GS-I – Geographical phenomena and GS III – Sci and tech 

Context CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has launched an ‘Environmental Seismology’ group to develop a ‘Landslide and Flood Early Warning System’ for the Himalayan region based on real-time monitoring with dense seismological networks, coupled with satellite data, numerical modelling and geomorphic analysis.

• This would enable a crucial warning several hours prior, which will save precious human lives and property in future during such events. 

Climate change – Cause of landslides and floods

• Landslides are common in India’s northern Himalayan region, particularly in the current monsoon season when heavy rains lead to subsidence of earth and rocks.
• The situation is exacerbated by climate change making the monsoon more erratic and melting glaciers higher in the mountains. 
• Roads in the region are also often poorly maintained.

About landslide and flood 

• A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. 
• A high water level that overflows the natural banks along any portion of a stream is called a flood. Thus, Floods are commonly associated with a stream or river. 

Do you know? 

• The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is a constituent research laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). 
• It was established in 1961 with the mission to carry out research in multidisciplinary areas of the highly complex structure and processes of the Earth system and its extensively interlinked subsystems.