Description and objectives

The project deals with the complex phenomenon of interference between landslides and river dynamics (landslide dams, hereinafter: LDs).

In summary: the characterisation of the phenomenon consists in identifying the variability of possible scenarios resulting from this interference; the prediction activity takes the form of a territorial analysis of susceptibility to the occurrence of riverbed blockages; emergency management involves identifying the problems arising from the different types of LDs and the interventions aimed at mitigating the risk.

Objectives.

• Characterisation: i) global census of LDs and creation of an open database that allows complete data usability and can be implemented by users; ii) development of a classification of LDs which, unlike those already known, also attributes an active role to the river in the occurrence and evolution of the phenomenon, and allows the multiplicity of scenarios resulting from the combination of the variables that contribute to its production to be highlighted.
• Forecast: i) definition of a procedure for identifying landslides that could potentially cause riverbed blockages, distinguishing them on the basis of severity and thus identifying different levels of territorial susceptibility; ii) application of the procedure to pilot basins in different geographical contexts at national level (Alps and Apennines); iii) back analysis of LDs that have already occurred, with the aim of developing models that allow the characteristics and geometry of possible blockages to be predicted.
• Management of the phenomenon: i) identification of problems arising from the different types of LDs, as defined by the above classification, which may arise both in the emergency phase and in the medium to long term; ii) development of guidelines aimed at identifying appropriate interventions to be implemented in order to mitigate the geological-hydraulic risk arising from the phenomenon, diversified according to the type of LDs.