MONASTERY MUDSLIDE CONTROL
Tumu Monastery, set in a pristine part of western Sichuan’s Tibetan region, has a long history as a religious center and institute of medicine.  Deforestation and climatic changes have eroded many of the hills in the area and eventually a large-scale landslide threatened the ancient assembly hall and its exquisite murals. Alerted to the emergency, CERS immediately commissioned a team of landslide experts to assess the situation and provide a plan to contain the slide. Teams were dispatched to organize workers and construct a series of dams to hold off the landslide, add drainage on the hill to divert rain water, build a retainer wall to redirect the spill-offs, and install a reforestation program to gradually reclaim the hillside and alleviate future deterioration. These projects saved the monastery and ensured its future safety from similar threats.