Hello to all!
This week in my Geology post I will be sharing on how Mass wasting effects Cuba. To begin, Mass wasting, also known as slope movement,, also known as slope movement or mass movement, is the geomorphic process by which soil, sand, and rock move down slope typically as a mass, largely under the force of gravity, but frequently affected by water and water content as in submarine environments and mud flows. Four examples of Mass wasting are: falls (rock fall and rock avalanche),
slides (rock slide and slump), and flows (rock avalanche, debris flow, earth flow, and creep). I found factors that influence mass wasting are; slope: gravity provides the energy to move the materials,
Water: rainwater acts as a lubricant to weathered materials, Rock structure: joints dipping downslope usually assists landslides, rockfalls, rockslide, rock creep,etc. Vegetation:lack of vegetation cover to hold the loose particle and Vibrations. Through online research I found that Cuba experiences Landslides due to exposure of water( rain/hurricanes). Landslides cause a considerable amount of damage in the mountainous regions of Cuba, which cover about 25% of the territory. Until now, only a limited amount of research has been carried out in the field of landslide risk assessment in the country. I didn't find specific results on what Cuba does to prevent Mass wasting, however, I did find that Cuba has a "developed an integrated, countrywide civil defense system that has succeeded in preventing widespread loss of life from natural disasters." A prevention system that involves the entire country, "from the highest spheres of government to the most isolated rural community, makes Cuba one of the best-prepared countries in the world when it comes to preventing deaths and mitigating risks in case of disasters." Two-day community drills begin to be carried out a few weeks before the start of the Jun. 1-Nov. 30 Atlantic hurricane season, under the name Meteoro. The activities included rehearsals by people living in high-risk areas, joint exercises by the first responder and disaster recovery agencies, and actions aimed at reducing the vulnerabilities identified in each area."Studies carried out in Cuba in the early 2000s found that over two million of the country’s 11.2 million people are vulnerable to disasters such as flooding, the rupture or overflow of dams, collapsed housing, or landslides"'. This information is systematically updated by the risk reduction management centers, which evaluate risks of disasters at a national level. At the same time, the early warning system monitors the natural and technological variables that can turn into risks for the population and the economy. For being such a small country that is labeled "under developed", Cuba seems advanced and empathetic in protecting the lives of their people.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/05/community-drills-part-of-cubas-top-notch-disaster-response-system/
Cuba National Landslide Risk Map (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311457066_Cuba_National_Landslide_Risk_Map [accessed Mar 16 2018].
https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/prevention-and-community-engagement-keys-disaster-management-cash-strapped-cuba
