Co-Producing Data and Decision Support Tools to Reduce Landslide Risk in the Humid Tropics

Abstract

Rainfall-triggered landslides are increasing in the humid tropics, and Small Island Developing States are disproportionately affected. Frequent shallow slides in hillside cuttings along roads and in communities hinder sustainable development. Larger, less frequent storms cause hundreds of landslides that block lifeline roads, impede disaster response and reverse economic growth. Top-down Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policies and approaches aiming to transfer conventional landslide assessment science and engineering practices are not always suitable in these data-and resourcelimited contexts. This paper recognises the emergence of co-production approaches as part of the resilience paradigm response to DRR science-policy-practice gaps. We present a case study from Saint Lucia, Eastern Caribbean, in which government engineers and policymakers have partnered with the authors to co-produce landslide hazard assessment data and prototype decision support tools to strengthen landslide hazard management along lifeline roads.

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