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Cause and effect of mass movement in Hong Kong due to urbanization in 1948 1998(landslides)

Urbanization involves building of infrastructure so as to develop a community. Before the introduction of urbanization, countries were reliant on agriculture for the sustainability of their community. The introduction of the industrial revolution changed the dynamics in society. Communities now placed emphasis development of all things infrastructure leading to the creation of an urbanized community. One of the countries that has been affected to date is Hong Kong. During the early1940s, the country joined the rest of the world in the urbanization process (Waugh, p. 305).

The focus of the paper is to provide an analysis of the mass movement in Hong Kong. The paper seeks to look into the reason for the need to urbanize the nation at the time. This is followed with reasons explaining the causes and effects of the occurrence. Lastly, the paper provides a concluding paragraph that provides a summary of the paper and the way forward for the nation.

Causes of the steep slopes

The country was not geographically structured to sustain the rising population. One of the ways that the country could make up for its lack of space was the use of the stabilization technique. The government therefore adopted this method due to its success in Japan. This is one of the initial causes responsible for mass movement in the country.

The stabilization technique is known to work for a majority of the counties that have adopted the process. The occurrence of mass movement in Hong Kong was supplemented by other factors. One of the factors in this case is the impermeability of the surface. This makes the land vulnerable when exposed to substances like water and rainfall. This quality makes the stabilization unsafe for urbanization and development.

The fact that the country was reliant on mountainous areas for construction was hazardous enough. Another reason that placed the population at risk was the intense infrastructure constructed on the slopes. The slopes were sensitive and as a result added pressure to the surface of the ground. This situation was further worsened during the intense rainy that contributed to the soil erosion of the entire area.

Another cause of the mass movement was the overpopulation of the people in the affected area. The populous nation needed to cater for their needs by investing in the little land that they had. One of the ways of meeting these expectations was by overcrowding in a small area. Overcrowding of the communities encourages the deterioration of the surface. This in turn decreased the stabilization of the land placing the lives of the people at risk (Waugh, p. 215).

Effects of the steep slopes

The mass movement in Hong Kong affected each and every one in the country. The principal result of the occurrence was the loss of lives. The buildings in the slopes acted as shelter for a large percentage of the population at the time. The movement of the land can be compared to an earthquake. The sliding effect is dangerous to the health of an individual due to the strength of at which the force pushes. Most of the injuries were caused by the concrete used to construct the buildings reducing the chances of survival for the people present (Calcaterra and Mario, p. 125).

One of the effects of the mass movement in the country was the loss of homes of more than half a million people. The incident led to the displacement of a large number of families exposing them to more calamities. The country was thus faced with a national disaster in that its citizens had become homeless. Lacking shelter affected the production of the society thus affecting an aspect of their life apart from their livelihood.

The countries economy felt the effects of the mass movement in the country. Due to the destruction of an entire community, the population could not sustain their needs and wants. Most of the infrastructure housed businesses which contributed to the growth of the country’s GDP. The loss of these businesses thus had a direct effect on both the financial situation of the citizens and the county’s economy (Goudie, p. 134).

In conclusion, the movement of the land is one of the saddest events in the calendar of the people of Hong Kong. The loss of the lives of the people at the time led to the loss of a part of a nation. This weekend the strength of the community due to the reduction of the man power needed to sustain the country. Despite this, the occurrence acted as an educating factor to the world as a whole. Most of the countries that were in the same situation invested in protective measures to prevent a reoccurrence. The country came together so that they could reunite and move forward. This enabled for the fast recovery of the now successful nation. Despite the level of hurt that came with the movement of the land, the loss of lives of the people present at the time was not in vain.

Works Cited

Calcaterra, Domenico, and Mario Parise. Weathering As a Predisposing Factor to Slope Movements. London: Geological Society, 2010. Print.

Goudie, Andrew. The Human Impact on the Natural Environment: Past, Present, and Future. Malden, MA. [u.a.: Blackwell Publishing, UK, 2007. Print

Waugh, David. Geography: An Integrated Approach. Gloucester, U.K: Nelson Thornes, 2000. Print.