31. Landslides

For many living on or by mountains, cliffs, or other slopes, landslides pose a huge risk. The ground itself can come crashing down or slip out from under you. Globally, landslides kill thousands of people per year and rack up costs in the billions. And while they are a natural phenomenon, human activities like deforestation, mining, and climate change could make them more frequent. Today, we discuss why landslides happen, how we’ve exacerbated them, and how we can both mitigate them and prepare for them in the future. With special guest Dr. Žiga Malek: Assistant Professor in Land Use and Ecosystem Dynamics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.