The majority of Yemenis have lived since ancient times in the foothills of the mountains and near them, taking them as a shelter from the harsh natural conditions. However, in recent decades, they have turned into a threat to their tranquility, in addition to the dangers of climate change and the effects of war. A recent study warns that parts of the city of Aden are at risk of rock collapses.
The Yemen Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority, which conducted the study, expected that the districts of Sira and Al-Mualla, south of Aden Governorate, would be exposed to the risks of rock collapses due to the geological formation of the mountain rocks surrounding them, the causes of which are likely to be attributed to what is known as Yemen’s Tertiary Volcanoes, and are characterized by the presence of cracks, discontinuities, and breaks.
According to the study in which the rock cover hazard map production project participated; The urban and urban expansion in the city of Aden, which approached the rocky slopes, contributed to increasing the instability of the rocky slopes. It identified 8 high-risk sites in the Sira District, and one site in the Al-Mualla District, and called for immediate measures to be taken to address them.
These measures called for by the study include rehabilitating rocky slopes to reduce the risk of collapses, evacuating residents from vulnerable areas, placing warning signs in those areas, and taking the necessary measures to prevent human disasters in these areas.
A number of neighborhoods in the city of Aden are located under rocks that are ready to collapse due to several natural and human factors (Geological Survey Authority)
The study called for developing a national plan to reduce the risks of rockslides, establishing a system to monitor rockslides, and educating residents about the dangers of rockslides, in addition to developing legislation to regulate urban expansion in areas at risk.
Nearly two years ago, 4 workers in Aden were killed in a rock collapse during a crushing operation near a mountain in the city of Buraiqa, west of the city. Experts at the time suggested that unsupervised crushing work was the cause of the collapse.
Taiz… siege and collapse
During the last rainy season, the city of Taiz witnessed many rockslides that completely or partially destroyed many buildings and homes. Asharq Al-Awsat counted the occurrence of 13 rockslides in the city of Taiz and on its outskirts, but the majority of them occurred after residents became aware of them and took the necessary precautions. But some of these collapses caused human injuries without loss of life.
According to a geological source in the city of Taiz; Rockslides in the city of Taiz and its countryside have become a common and usual occurrence that residents live with and take many measures to avoid their risks, including displacement, migration, and housing replacement, to the point that some residents use their homes that are exposed to the risks of collapses as shelter for livestock.
The city of Taiz lives under the influence of continuous rockslides, which residents have become accustomed to (Facebook)
The source, who preferred not to publish his data, criticized the relevant authorities for not responding to the warnings and demands of the competent authorities throughout the country. These authorities claim the great difficulties and tasks caused by the war and the various crises that resulted from it, taking advantage, according to his opinion, of the population’s lack of protest or demand that they find solutions.
He noted that the residents were exposed to many risks as a result of the war, the siege of the city, its bombing, and sniping, so natural risks no longer represent a big difference to them, especially with their ability to deal with and avoid them.
Last May, the Geological Survey and Mineral Resources Authority warned the residents of the city of Taiz of the danger of rock collapses, after it carried out an assessment of most of the sites at risk of collapse in the Al-Muzaffar District, Cairo, Sabr Al-Mawadim, and some districts in the Taiz countryside, noting that the city’s geology is… Volcanic rocks with breaks and cracks in all directions, making them located in areas of varying danger.
The authority called on residents to be cautious, especially since the country is affected by extreme climate change, warning that the digging of sewage chambers, which is taking place in the Amad area opposite Taiz University on the western edge of the city, may lead to the collapse of foundations and the collapse of nearby buildings in the future.
The entire country is under danger
Anas Manea, a researcher in urban geomorphology (the science of the shape of the earth), reveals that many Yemeni cities live under the risk of rockslides, especially the three main cities of Taiz, Aden, and Sana’a, the latter to a lesser extent, as risks form in the areas of Madhba in the northwest of the city, Nuqm, and Al-Hafa. East, and the outskirts of the Haddah region to the south.
A road closed by a rockslide in Al-Maflahi District, Lahj Governorate (X)
Manea said in his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that Al-Bayda and Al-Dhalea in the center of the country are vulnerable to the risk of collapse, while the vicinity of the city of Amran (north of the capital, Sana’a), near Mount Dhain, is considered a moderate risk, and the same applies to parts of the city of Ibb (192 km south of the capital, Sana’a). ), especially towards Naqil Baadan and near Jabal Rabi, in addition to the center of Al-Saddah District, which is located under rock blocks that are vulnerable to collapse.
As for rural areas, many of them are vulnerable to rockslides, especially those located on the general fault line extending from Hammam Ali in Dhamar Governorate (100 km south of Sanaa), to the Red Sea coast to the west.
According to the researcher, earthquakes often have the greatest impact on collapses, especially for rock masses whose degree of stability is critical, especially near the general fault line known for its seismic activity, which is the line extending from the Hammam Ali area in Dhamar all the way to the Red Sea coast in the west, after… It passes west of Taiz near Jabal Habashi and Wadi Bani Khawlan, and is considered an area of geological weakness affected by earthquakes.
Manea believes that the solutions must be practical and quick, and are represented by crushing the rocks and stabilizing some of them by building supporting walls for the slopes that are exposed to erosion, in addition to following the injection method, which he said is expensive, but its results are guaranteed, and is done by injecting some rocks with a specific substance to prevent them from cracking, which is to In addition to its cost, it requires specialized staff.
Roads in Yemen are subject to closure due to rock collapses caused by heavy rains (X)
He preferred to follow methods of stabilizing and breaking rock blocks, and to cooperate with local communities to follow practical measures to prevent the expansion of construction and construction towards areas of collapse, in addition to tightening large blocks with iron bars and others by building retaining walls that prevent the erosion of slopes and soil.
He called for prohibiting construction towards risk areas or construction at the feet of mountains where rock blocks are formed at a critical degree of slope, or where there are rock blocks with colloidal soil underneath. Because this type of soil turns into a slippery medium during rains and floods.
Regarding the government strategies used to prevent rockslides, Manea stated that the war caused the cessation of many of them, and the migration of many minds and specialized expertise, especially those whose salaries were stopped or who were fired from their jobs, in addition to that a number of specialized centers were used as military barracks or weapons warehouses, such as the center Seismic monitoring in Dhamar.
2023-10-09 04:35:35
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