Five years after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake that triggered multiple
mass movements, landslides continue to pose a threat to the population
of Azad Kashmir, especially during heavy monsoon rains. The thousands
of landslides that were triggered by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake
in 2005 were not just due to a natural phenomenon but largely induced
by human activities, namely, road building, grazing, and deforestation.
The damage caused by the landslides in the study area (381 km2) is
estimated at 3.6 times the annual public works budget of Azad Kashmir
for 2005 of US$ 1 million. In addition to human suffering, this cost
constitutes a significant economic setback to the region that could
have been reduced through improved land use and risk management.
This article describes interdisciplinary research conducted 18 months
after the earthquake to provide a more systemic approach to understanding
risks posed by landslides, including the physical, environmental,
and human contexts. The goal of this research is twofold: to present
empirical data on the social, geological, and environmental contexts
in which widespread landslides occurred following the 2005 earthquake;
and, second, to describe straightforward methods that can be used
for integrated landslide risk assessments in data-poor environments.
The article analyzes limitations of the methodologies and challenges
for conducting interdisciplinary research that integrates both social
and physical data. This research concludes that reducing landslide
risk is ultimately a management issue, based in land use decisions
and governance.