Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia, Volume 72, November 2021, pp. 165 – 175

Soil related factors controlling erosion and landslides in Malaysia

S. Paramananthan¹, Nurfashareena Muhamad², Joy Jacqueline Pereira^2,*

1 Param Agricultural Soil Surveys (M) Sdn. Bhd., A4-3 Jalan 17/13, Happy Mansion Block A, Section 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
2 Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative (SEADPRI-UKM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Malaysia
* Corresponding author email address: joy@ukm.edu.my

Abstract: The high temperature and rainfall in Malaysia results in intensive tropical weathering and depending on the parent material, the resultant soil can have deep or shallow soil profiles. Thus, a variety of soils can form with different textures (clay content), structure and porosity. With the high rainfall, soils in steep terrain are subjected to surface erosion when exposed or landslides if the rainwater percolates into the soil profile. Key soil-related factors controlling soil erosion and landslides include local climate, parent material of soils and depth of the weathered profile. Slope and geomorphology, vegetation and land use as well as land management practices also influence erosion and landslides. Measures used to control soil erosion and stabilize slopes require improved understanding of soil weathering, erosion, landslide and their linkages in steep terrain.

Keywords: Tropical weathering, soil, landslides, erosion, disaster prevention

Abstrak: Suhu dan hujan yang tinggi di Malaysia mengakibatkan luluhawa tropika yang intensif dan bergantung kepada bahan induk, tanah yang terhasil boleh mempunyai profil tanah dalam atau cetek. Oleh itu, pelbagai jenis tanah boleh terbentuk dengan tekstur (kandungan lempung), struktur dan keliangan yang berbeza. Dengan taburan hujan yang tinggi, tanah di kawasan curam akan mengalami hakisan permukaan apabila terdedah atau tanah runtuh jika air hujan meresap ke dalam profil tanah. Faktor utama berkaitan tanah yang mengawal hakisan tanah dan tanah runtuh termasuk iklim tempatan, bahan induk tanah dan kedalaman profil terluluhawa. Cerun dan geomorfologi, tumbuh-tumbuhan dan guna tanah serta amalan pengurusan tanah turut mempengaruhi hakisan dan tanah runtuh. Langkah-langkah yang digunakan untuk mengawal hakisan tanah dan menstabilkan cerun memerlukan pemahaman yang lebih baik tentang luluhawa tanah, hakisan, tanah runtuh dan kaitannya di kawasan tanah tinggi yang curam.

Kata kunci: Luluhawa tropika, tanah, tanah runtuh, hakisan, pencegahan bencana

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm72202113