The policy issue of landslides in Romania

Abstract

National policy in disaster risk reduction field is expressed through various legislative documents for the hole field and different risk types, administrative authorities, public institutions and specialized institutions with responsibilities in disaster prevention and response management. Romania is one of the Eastern European countries more severely affected by natural hazards (floods, landslides and earthquakes), all with strong economic and social impact. Landslides comprise all the failure and movement mechanisms, e.g. slides, lateral spreading, flows and falls etc... Mountains, hills and tablelands, which cover two-thirds of the country's area, are particularly susceptible to landsliding, especially the hills and tablelands. Numerous historical documents from the fifteenth to nineteeth centuries contain information on landslide related damage, but it is only since the early twentieth century that scientific inventorying and appropriate mapping exist. In Romania, the interests in achieving a legislative base regarding natural disasters and prevention measures/countermeasures occurred before 1960. The most important natural hazards are: strong earthquakes, major floods, landslides, soil erosion and drought. The surface exposed to the landslide risk is 800,000 ha, where are located 50,000 households in which live 250,000 people. Area with the highest risk to landslides is located in southern and southwestern Carpathian arc. For registration and statistics highlight to the main natural hazards exist standardized evaluation sheets for damage caused by landslides and floods (Official Gazette, X 354/16.09.1998). © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.