Scientists from Australia, Italy, and Nepal, in collaboration with the Nepal government and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have introduced a new artificial intelligence system designed to predict landslides. The system, called SAFE-RISCCS, utilizes satellite images from NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to continuously monitor and analyze ground conditions. This data feeds into Landslide Early Warning Systems, providing accurate alerts days or even weeks in advance.
Professor Antoinette Tordesillas from the University of Melbourne, leading the project, noted that 59 percent of Nepal is prone to landslides, with a high death rate per capita due to these events. Given that over 80 percent of Nepal’s land is on a slope and the country was significantly destabilized during the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, this system is crucial as the monsoon season approaches.
SAFE-RISCCS combines space imagery, rainfall measurements, and ground motion data to predict landslides, making it a valuable tool for policymakers and risk managers. The system will be implemented in two high-risk regions in partnership with Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
Continuous monitoring of surface deformations, as highlighted by Professor Basanta Adhikari from Tribhuvan University, is essential for protecting Nepal’s population. The increasing frequency of landslides, driven by seismotectonic activities, climate change, and human factors such as unplanned road construction, underscores the need for such early warning systems.
Professor Emanuele Intrieri from Florence University emphasized the importance of raising awareness about landslide risks to reduce exposure. By improving early landslide prediction, the system aims to mitigate the risk of catastrophic events, thereby protecting human lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, and the environment.
