Putting science into practice: the Second World Landslide Forum, Rome, 3–9 October, 2011

Abstract

The World Landslide Forum is a triennial mainstream conference aimed at gathering scientists, stakeholders, policy makers and industry members dealing with the management of landslide risk. The First World Landslide Forum, organised by the International Consortium of Landslides, UNESCO, WMO, FAO, UNISDR, UNU, UNEP, IBRD, UNDP, ICSU, WFEO, KU and the Japan Landslide Society, was held in 2008 at the United Nations University, Tokyo. The First World Landslide Forum adopted the 2008 Tokyo Declaration ‘Strengthening the International Programme on Landslides with UNISDR’. The numerous recent disasters due to landslides show that there is an urgent need to translate science into practical applications to assist communities, governments and disaster-relief organisations avert and mitigate future landslide disasters. For this reason, the explicit theme of the Second World Landslide Forum, being organised for Rome, Italy, for 3–9 October 2011, is to connect landslide scientists with landslide stakeholders in a special landslide forum to align future innovations in landslide science and technology with the future needs of humanity and the environment.