Management of Slope Stability in Communities (MoSSaiC)

Landslide Risk Reduction in Saint Lucia

What is MoSSaiC?• MoSSaiC, a research organization based at the University of Bristol and

established in 2004, is an integrated method for engaging policy makers, project managers, practitioners, and vulnerable communities in reducing landslide risk in developing countries.

• MoSSaiC combines research, policy, and humanitarian interests to address landslide hazard, by designing and implementing a community-based mitigation program. Specifically, there was the conviction that rainfall-triggered landslide hazards could be reduced in the most vulnerable communities in developing countries.

Vision:– Disaster risk mitigation pays, and landslide hazards can often be reduced in vulnerable

communities.– Engaging existing government expertise for implementing risk reduction measures can

build capacity, embed good practice, and change policy. – Ensuring community engagement from start to finish can establish ownership of solutions.• MoSSaiC started working in partnership with the World Bank since 2009.

MoSSaiC and a group of volunteer programmers won a ‘grand prize’ in the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) competition in 2010, making the interface of the slope stabilization software more user-friendly.

The activitiesCommunity residents and Government technical teams map detailed slope features so the causes of landsides can be scientifically confirmed.Design of landslide hazard reduction measures is based on managing surface water in all forms (roof water, grey water, and overland flow of rainfall water).Construction of low-cost drain systems and installation of roof guttering are bid out to contractors in the community.End-to-end community engagement encourages participation in planning, executing, and maintaining surface water management on high-risk slopes.This produces a program owned by the community rather than imposed by the agency or government.

Developing MoSSaiC in St. Lucia

Interventions started in 2004

Methodology endorsed by the Government of Saint Lucia

MoSSaiC developed in 13 communities in the Eastern Caribbean…including 7 communities in Saint Lucia under the WB Second Disaster Management Project (5 already completed) = 261 homes benefitted from SDMP MoSSaiC interventions

Partnership between

MoSSaiC, the

Government, communities,

the World Bank, and

other donors

Hurricane TomasThe passage of Hurricane Tomas on October 30-31, 2010, with a 24-hour rainfall of 533 mm in Castries (1-in-500-year 24-hour event) allowed the performance of the interventions to be assessed.

There were no reported landslides in any of the communities in which MoSSaiC interventions had been completed, both under the Second Disaster Management Project and under earlier projects.

The performance of MoSSaiC in St. Lucia has been assessed for four major storm events, including Tomas, on hillsides that, prior to the interventions, had landslides triggered by 1-in-1- to 1-in-5-year rainfall events.

Given the counterfactual nature of risk reduction, this can be regarded as a very significant positive result in terms of project impact.

SustainabilityThe Ministry of Communications, Works, Transportation. and Public Utilities (MCWT&PU) have proposed the following actions to achieve sustainability:

Establishment of a MoSSaiC Core Unit (management team) within the MCWT&PU

Establishment of a road database linked to ArcGIS

Enhanced rainwater harvesting