Rubber Research body uses satellite derived maps to delineate rubber plantations

The Rubber Study Institute of India has properly delineated rubber plantations into very low, medium and large landslide risk groups using satellite-derived maps of the distribution of rubber plantations and the district-sensible landslide susceptibility zones designed by the Kerala Condition Catastrophe Administration Authority.

These landslide susceptible zones had been prepared by integrating numerous databases like topographical maps, remote sensing facts, floor truth and geo-technological investigations. The landslide zones had been analysed geo-spatially with satellite-derived rubber plantation maps.

“We can advocate growers to undertake excellent agricultural methods at a location in accordance to its vulnerability to landslides as effectively as cultural operations that should really not be carried out to minimise the effects of landslides”, the officers explained.

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Kerala is characterised by hilly and undulating terrains with tropical monsoon local climate. Activated by major rainfall, the hilly areas of the Condition witnessed two enormous landslides creating several human casualties and serious damages to the environment and qualities in the past couple of many years.

Very powerful rainfall can destabilise hilly terrains wherever purely natural rubber is a preferred crop among others. Occupying far more than 22 for each cent of the gross cropped location of the Condition, purely natural rubber plantations are largely grown on the undulating and sloping terrains of along the foothills of Western Ghats which are progressively getting susceptible to landslides.

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Landslide is a purely natural disaster that can’t be predicted with any degree of absolute certainty. But science-based precautions can empower neighborhood communities to stay vigilant, lessening the risk of occurrence of a landslide and its effects on men and women and home if it happens, the officers explained.

Climate modify has altered the rainfall pattern in the Condition and extreme weather functions this sort of as tropical cyclones, major rainfall and floods have develop into far more regular and powerful which can quite possibly boost the incidence of landslides in long term.