Enhancing resilience to landslide disaster risks through rehabilitation of slide scars by local communities in Mt Elgon, Uganda

Abstract

Mass movements are key drivers affecting the utilisation of many farmlands and consequently the livelihoods in mountains’ ecosystems. Numerous expansive landslide scars can for years remain unusable for crop farming purposes, which is a major livelihood activity. This article examined the approaches and challenges faced by local communities in the rehabilitation of landslide-degraded areas in selected areas of Mt Elgon. Data were collected through field surveys of purposively selected scars, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with the local communities. The findings indicate that the local communities have initiated the rehabilitation of some scars to stabilise the slopes and also accelerate their quick recovery for beneficial purposes. Community trainings coupled with awareness and participatory actions during rehabilitation enhance community preparedness to landslide risks. However, there were noted constraints including limited resources, incidences of secondary slides, cracks and lack of adequate knowledge on the existing best practices for the rehabilitation of scars on deeply weathered soils. Further research should be focussed on generating relevant knowledge on regeneration rates under different socio-ecological conditions and for guiding sustainable utilisation of fragile areas.