Geo-Information tools for landslide risk assessment: an overview of recent developments

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to give an overview of recent developmentsin the use of Geographical Information Systems and Earth Observationwhich have been applied for improved landslide inventory mapping,landslide susceptibility and hazard assessment, elements at riskmapping, and finally landslide vulnerability and risk assessment.Geo-Information science and earth observation consists of a combinationof tools and methods for the collection - through aerospace surveytechniques -, storage and processing of geospatial data, for thedissemination and use of these data and of services based on thesedata. New relevant advances in this field are discussed, such asthe wider availability and higher accuracy of Digital Elevation Models(e.g. from ASTER, SRTM, Lidar) and the improved spatial and spectralresolution of satellite images. Another important development isin the field of digital data collection through digital stereo imageinterpretation, and the use of mobile GIS for data collection oflandslides and elements at risk. Finally an overview is given ofthe use of GIS in landslide hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment.