Landslide Exposure Community-Based Mapping: A First Encounter in a Small Rural Locality of Mexico

This research aimed to analyse the exposure of households and other buildings to landslides by means of community-based mapping in Huehueymico, a small rural locality of 884 inhabitants located in Teziutlan, Puebla, Mexico. Despite the severe impact of the disaster of October 1999 associated with rainfall induced landslides, there has been a lack of interest of local authorities to promote landslide disaster risk preparedness in rural isolated areas. Under such account, it is suggested that community-based mapping can be regarded as a very valuable alternative to enhance disaster risk education as a first encounter between residents and landslide disaster risk awareness. The methodology undertaken comprised the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in order to generate high resolution base maps, field evaluation of the conditions and state of conservation of the buildings, and a couple of workshops directed to undertake the community-based mapping. Results regarding the landslide exposure community-based map are presented in this investigation.