Are mass movement hazards preventable? – examples from the Philippines and Egypt

Mudslides and other mass movement events are rarely fatal in MEDCs, but year after year they prove deadly in the developing world. Often the events are triggered by meteorological or tectonic phenomena, such as monsoons or earthquakes. Given that the areas where these phenomena occur are well known, why are they still taking such a heavy toll?

In the Philippines heavy rains triggered a mudslide which destroyed houses and killed many in September 2008:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7602818.stm

In Cairo, a massive rockfall caused devastation in an urban area. The rockfall may have been triggered by construction work:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7601761.stm

Many people felt that they didn’t get enough support from the authorities:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7608605.stm