Landslide Hazard and Risk Assessment Lanzhou, Province Gansu, China—Project Introduction and Outlook

Abstract

The project “Landslide Hazard and Risk Assessment Lanzhou, Province Gansu, People’s Republic of China” (LHARA) is a joint cooperation project between the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany (BGR), China Geological Survey (CGS) and China Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring (CIGEM). Within a multi-phase approach LHARA will focus on landslide hazard and risk assessment for the surroundings of Lanzhou City, the rapidly developing capital of Gansu Province. The project will pursue practical approaches and facilitate the integration of scientific findings into the daily work of local authorities for geological hazard prevention and management, ultimately leading to improved planning criteria and mitigation measures for the affected area. The long term goals are intended to be achieved by multiple upcoming project phases. The major tasks of the first phase of two years duration are addressed to following issues: “Applicability of statistical models for landslide susceptibility and hazard assessment under rapidly developing environmental conditions” and “GIS-aided physically-based models for slope failures in loess area considering different triggers”. Both goals will be accompanied by development of handy tools based on Open Source solutions. In this paper, the framework of the project and current status quo are introduced, and an outlook for the upcoming activities is given.