Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care, Integrated , Patient Care Team , Varicose Ulcer/prevention & control , Attitude of Health Personnel , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/economics , Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/legislation & jurisprudence , Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/organization & administration , Education, Medical, Graduate , Evidence-Based Medicine , Guideline Adherence , Health Care Costs , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Policy , Humans , Organizational Objectives , Patient Care Team/economics , Patient Care Team/legislation & jurisprudence , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Prevalence , Preventive Health Services/economics , Preventive Health Services/legislation & jurisprudence , Preventive Health Services/organization & administration , Program Development , Research Support as Topic , Time Factors , Varicose Ulcer/economics , Varicose Ulcer/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Snow avalanche hazards in mountainous areas of developing countries have received scant attention in the scientific literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe this hazard and mitigate measures in Kaghan Valley, Pakistan Himalaya, and to review alternatives for future reduction of this hazard. Snow avalanches have long posed a hazard and risk to indigenous populations of the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya mountains. Land use intensification due to population growth, new transportation routes, military activity and tourism is raising levels of risk. The history of land use in the study area is such that investigations of avalanche hazard must rely on different theoretical bases and data than in most industrialised countries. Despite the intensive use of valley-bottom land which is affected by avalanches, a number of simple measures are currently amployed by the indigenous population to mitigate the hazard. Out-migration during the winter months is the most important one.(AU)
