Andean Landslides in Colombia

Landslides are widespread throughout the steep slopes of the Colombian Andes, commonly triggered by torrential rains and seismic tremors. Human land use, however, is the primary driver: clearing montane forest for farming or pasture removes the root systems that anchor the soil, while inadequate drainage and hillside cutting destabilize the slopes. Field observations suggest that roughly two percent of the Andean landscape is scarred by landslides, frequently rendering the soil unusable for agriculture. Across cultivated vistas in the Andes, the visual impact of slope failure is almost impossible to miss.