Landslide for Education; A Case Study from the Mitigated Landslide at Kahagalla, Haputhale

Abstract

Sri Lanka is a well-known country experiencing landslide disasters which are most com- mon. Hence, awareness or education in landslide hazards and disasters must be well established in the country. The importance of education is not only about book learning, but also fieldwork to give students valuable real-world experience. This study focuses on the Kahagalla landslide mitigated site, an exemplary landslide mitigation and man- agement project. The purpose of this study is to provide valuable insights and lessons learnt from the Kahagalla landslide mitigated site, which can be utilized for educational purposes in the field of Geography, Geology, Civil Engineering, and Disaster Management. This is a qualitative case study that used field observation as the primary data collection method and relevant documents as the secondary data collection method. Data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The case study analyzes the background of the landslide, the measures taken for landslide mitigation, and the overall success of the project in terms of landslide education. Results reveal that the Kahagalla landslide site can give proper knowledge on landslide education. Further, the site is rich in different landslide mitigation methods and is accessible. Thus, the recommendation is to use these kinds of available sites in Sri Lanka for enhancing the practical knowledge of education.