Professor Marcus Power

Living with Landslides part 1

This film looks at how people live with landslides as part of the Sajag-Nepal project (www.sajag-nepal.org). Living with Landslides introduces the community of Fagam in Annapurna municipality within Myagdi district in west-central Nepal. The village is home to around 75 households and is located on a steep hillside above the Beni-Jomsom Road and the powerful Kali Gandaki River. Fagam is a mixed settlement in terms of caste and ethnic groups. The community is primarily dependent on agriculture and livestock rearing, with an increasing number of people engaged in foreign labour migration to the Gulf, Malaysia, and other countries. The community has been living in Fagam for generations. Residents know the slopes, the streams, and the pastureland well. During the months of June to September, no one sleeps easily through fear of landslides. The film begins with scenes from the annual Bhume puja, a ritual performed to worship the Earth and the deities residing in Fagam with the aim of securing protection against catastrophes. Set against this are the experiences of several residents who lost their homes due to landslides and a community meeting where residents challenged the local government, demanding that more is done to help reduce the risks they face. Produced by BBC Media Action with support from the UK Global Challenges Research Fund through the Sajag-Nepal project.