Landslide Vulnerability of Urban slums: Case of Warje Slum, Pune, Maharashtra

The rapid urbanization in developing countries contributed to the severity of urban environmental hazards such as slope failure and flooding. In addition, heavy rainfall or alterations to natural environmental characteristics trigger the incidence of hazards such as landslides where local topographic conditions often exacerbate the vulnerability of the built environment. Landslide causes numerous fatalities and financial damage to millions worldwide and India is no exception. In most of the Indian cities, the physical expansion during the past few decades has resulted in increased vulnerability, with the occupation of hill slopes subject to instability. Therefore, the impact of physical characteristics of the environment and human interventions needs to be examined in assessing urban vulnerability. This study examines the vulnerability of urban settlements to landslide risk with Warje Slum, Pune, Maharashtra as a case study. It attempts to understand better the causative factors of landslides and their impact to suggest ways for better disaster management to save life and property in the future.