Landslide Dam Outburst Flood in Chin Hill, Myanmar - Field Report

Heavy rainfall (480 mm) on 16 July 2015 triggered a huge landslide (DGSE and GDKU, 2016) that dammed the Tui Lam Lui River approximately 52 km upstream of Yazagyo Dam near Hangken Village, Falam District in the Upper Chin hill region in northwestern Myanmar

The Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry of Myanmar requested ICIMOD to assess the landslide dam and develop a comprehensive management plan to tackle the problem. The Director of the Forest Department of Chin State organized a short field trip to the landslide dam and lake area in May 2016 and the ICIMOD team led the investigation group. The team used remote sensing data and field data to be analyzed in a geographic information systems environment. Based on collected data, the ICIMOD team concluded there was a strong probability this landslide dam would breach.