The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and Geological Survey Division (GSD) received timely assist from the New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) to conduct landslide aerial survey in Isabel Province

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and the Geological Survey Division (GSD) of the Ministry of Mines and Energy on Tuesday 23rd April 2024 deployed a three-member team comprising of two geologists and a disaster management specialist to conduct aerial survey on the widespread landslides on the Island of Santa Isabel.

The prolong heavy rainfall on the area from March 2023 so as the heavy rainfalls associated to Tropical Cyclone Jasper in late December 2023 triggered the landslide events.
The landslides are confined to villages from Sepi to Kumanga in the Gao-Bugotu region of Isabel.

According to the team, there are more than 30 landslides being identified of which 5 of them are very large, and up to 6 landslides actually reached the villages, which exposed those villages to potential secondary impacts to disasters should the landslide materials remobilise due to conditions such as continuous or heavy rainfall, and seismic activities.

The NDMO reminded communities that are exposed or living close to the major landslides to be vigilant especially during heavy rains, or, after an earthquake, and that people should take initiatives to be safe when accessing gardening areas, or travelling to other communities by local bush tracks or roads that access through landslide locations.

The NDMO in collaboration with GSD is currently developing the technical report. Further detailed onsite assessments and mitigation actions on the landslide locations and communities that have been identified as exposed and of very high risk to potential secondary disaster impacts may be carried out later.

It is important that people and communities living close to major landslides to take extra precautionary measures and have a simple family disaster plan that would guide their actions as some of the landslides pose very high risk to the some of the communities.

The NDMO on-behalf of the Solomon Islands Government acknowledges the timely Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response assistance from the Government of New Zealand through the New Zealand Defence Force, and grateful for New Zealand’s increasing support in the Disaster Risk Management space over the years.
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