Question 2.5 [15 marks]

Question

Read the extract below on mass wasting and answer the questions that follow.
|The 2010 Uganda landslide occurred in the district of Bududa in eastern
Uganda on 1 March 2010. The landslide was triggered by heavy rain between
12:00 and 19:00 that day. At least 100 people are believed to have been killed.
The landslide k villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon, including Nameti,
Aeobobo Gighh.five bomes were destroyed in Nameti alone.
Kubewo, and
Many areas in the affected villages were buried by the landslides, including
houses, markets and a church. Many roads were also blocked. Officials and aid
workers were worried that further landslides could occur, as heavy rain
continued to fall in the region.
2.5.1 What is a mass movement?
(1x2) (2)
2.5.2 Under which category of mass movements do landslides fall under?
(1x1) (1)
(1x2) (2)
2.5.3 What was the cause of the landslide that hit eastern Uganda?
2.5.4 Provide three pieces of evidence from the extract above of the damage
inflicted by the landslide on eastern Uganda.
(3x2) (6)
2.5.5 What two safety precautions can the government of Uganda take to
prevent any future landslides?
(2x2) (4)

Answer 1

2.5.1 What is a mass movement?
Mass movement, also known as mass wasting, is the downslope movement of soil, rock, and other debris under the influence of gravity. It can occur suddenly or gradually and includes processes such as landslides, mudflows, rockfalls, and soil creep. (2 marks)

2.5.2 Under which category of mass movements do landslides fall under?
Landslides fall under the category of rapid mass movements. (1 mark)

2.5.3 What was the cause of the landslide that hit eastern Uganda?
The landslide in eastern Uganda was caused by heavy rain that fell between 12:00 and 19:00 on 1 March 2010. (2 marks)

2.5.4 Provide three pieces of evidence from the extract above of the damage inflicted by the landslide on eastern Uganda.
1. At least 100 people are believed to have been killed.
2. Whole villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon, including Nameti, Kubewo, and others, were buried.
3. Many areas, including houses, markets, and a church, were buried, and many roads were blocked. (6 marks)

2.5.5 What two safety precautions can the government of Uganda take to prevent any future landslides?
1. Establish early warning systems to monitor rainfall and soil conditions, so residents can be evacuated before a landslide occurs.
2. Implement land-use planning and management strategies, such as restricting construction on vulnerable slopes and promoting reforestation and vegetation cover to stabilize the soil. (4 marks)