Disaster analysis and lessons learned from the July 22, 2024, Ethiopian landslide

Rainfall-induced landslides are often highly destructive. Reviewing and analyzing the causes, processes, impacts, and deficiencies in emergency response is critical for improving disaster prevention and management. From the night of July 21 to the morning of July 22, 2024, the Kencho Shacha Gozdi Village in Gezei Gofa, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia, suffered heavy rainfall that triggered two landslides. By July 25, this event had claimed at least 257 lives. This study presents a detailed characterization of the landslides using multi-source data. By analyzing the landslide disaster process, this study summarizes key lessons and suggestions for the prevention of rainfall-induced geological hazards. The results indicate that rainfall has the greatest impact on the occurrence of landslides, and the lithology and human activities promoted and strengthened the landslide disaster. Despite the active disaster response in the local area, many problems were still exposed in the emergency response work. This analysis provides valuable insights for mitigating rainfall-induced geological hazards and strengthening emergency response.