Identification and Mitigation of Large Landslide Risks in Europe

Large landslides affect many mountain valleys in Europe. They are characterised by a low probability of evolution into a catastrophic event but can have very large impacts on population, infrastructures and the environment. This impact is becoming more and more pronounced due to increasing tourism and the construction of new roads and railways in mountainous areas. Methodologies for the assessment and mitigation of risks are therefore a major issue. Since very large slope movements are quite often directly or indirectly implicated in disasters, like landslides, secondary slides or debris flow, their early identification is essential to an adequate risk assessment of the zones involved.

The assessment of risks due to large landslides in the alpine environment is the first activity carried out within the IMIRILAND Project. This project involves seven partners representing five European countries and is funded by the European Commission within the Fifth Framework Program (Research and Technological Development, Activities of a Generic Nature: the Fight against Major Natural and Technological Hazards). The objective of this cooperation is to develop risk management methodologies and mitigation strategies that can be applied at a European level as useful tools for administrators and land users.

To this end, by means of a multidisciplinary approach the hazard analysis of some selected large landslides was examined with a particular focus on geological, geomorphological and geo-mechanical methods. In addition, vulnerability and risk analyses were carried out to enable the consideration of direct and indirect consequences, as well as technical and social impacts. The developed risk assessment procedure was critically examined through application to some selected landslides.

Identification and Mitigation of Large Landslide Risks in Europe – Advances in Risk Assessment presents the risk assessment procedure developed and the case studies that were performed within the framework of the IMIRILAND Project. It is edited by Arpa Piemonte, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Politecnico di Torino

This book is intended for geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, geomorphologists and planners who are involved in landslides and in assessing the stability of natural slopes.