Mitigation of Landslide Impacts, Strategies and Challenges for the 21st Century

Robin Chowdhury, Phil Flentje

Abstract


Reliable methods for mitigation of landslide impacts must be based on the latest developments in knowledge and advanced methods of analysis and synthesis. An interdisciplinary approach is essential for effective solutions to landslide problems. Prevention or mitigation of landslide disasters requires understanding the factors which often lead to catastrophic landsliding and the simulation of conditions under which such failures may occur. The analysis of rainfall-triggered landsliding in saturated soils requires a proper understanding of how the factor of safety decreases with increase in pore water pressure. On the other hand, for landsliding in unsaturated soils it is necessary to understand the decrease of factor of safety with decrease in soil suctions (negative pore pressures) which is associated with increase in the field water content during rainfall infiltration. Landslide risk management requires understanding and assessment of susceptibility and hazard. In particular, for regional assessment, landslide susceptibility and hazard mapping and zonation are necessary. Mitigation of landslide impacts is facilitated by the use of research –based thresholds of rainfall and/or pore water pressure and/or displacement. These thresholds can be used for the development and application of early warning systems. Monitored data on landslide movements and pore water pressures can be very useful for updating hazard and risk scenarios. Such data also contribute to the capacity for landslide management in near real-time. The paper refers to some of the findings in the regional case study from Wollongong region, New South Wales Australia.

Keywords


landslide risks; susceptibility; hazard; rainfall threshold

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References


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