by Brianna Crandall — September 5, 2016 — A landslide often causes high material damage with corresponding costs or even personal injury and death. Now, new work on early warning systems started by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) will help warn populations in disaster-prone areas of the risks and actions needed in the likelihood of a landslide.
Aerial view of a landslide on a road near the seaside. Photo courtesy of ISO
The first-of-its-kind proposal, ISO/WD 21499, Security and resilience – Community-based landslide early warning system, will serve to empower individuals and communities who are vulnerable to landslides to act in sufficient time in appropriate ways to reduce the possibility of injuries, loss of life and damage to property and the environment. It is designed to encourage communities to play a much more active role in their own protection.
The guidelines will be used by communities vulnerable to landslides, government agencies and non-governmental organizations at central, provincial, municipality / district, sub-district, and village levels. Its recommendations will include the following:
- Risk assessment
- Dissemination and communication
- Establishment of disaster preparedness and response team
- Development of evacuation route and map
- Development of standard operating procedures
- Monitoring, early warning, and evacuation drill
- Commitment of the local government and community on the operation and maintenance of the whole system
The implementation of early warning systems in the world is in line with the Sendai Framework for action, endorsed by the U.N. General Assembly following the 2015 Third U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR). One of the four priorities emphasizes the improvement of preparedness in order to respond effectively to a disaster, by implementing a simple, low-cost early warning system and improving the dissemination of information.
The future standard will be developed by ISO Technical Committee (TC) 292, Security and Resilience. Forty-three countries participate in the committee’s work, under Swedish (SIS) leadership, with another 14 as observers.
