The Kyoto Landslide Commitment 2020 (KLC 2020, Sassa 2019) provides a shared blueprint
for implementing landslide disaster mitigation frameworks further beyond the “Sendai
Landslide Partnerships 2015-2025 for Global Promotion of Understanding and Reducing
Landslide Disaster Risk.” The KLC 2020 has officially been launched since the online
launching session of KLC 2020, 5 November 2020 (Sassa 2020, 2021). Our actions aiming
at the behavioral objectives blueprinted in the KLC 2020 will be reviewed for its
further development, on the Fifth World Landslide Forum, which has been postponed
in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic to 2 to 6 November 2021. There are currently
total 90 signatories to the KLC 2020 and it is thus very timely to start a new serial
to introduce monthly the signatories to the KLC in the journal Landslides. The first
installment in this introductory series comprises total 14 signatories, namely, 6
governmental and/or international organizations, 4 ICL supporting organizations (and
simultaneously ICL full members), and 4 ICL full members. They follow hereafter.
Governmental and/or international organizations
Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR)
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: http://www.irdrinternational.org/
Started in 2010, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) is a decade-long research
program co-sponsored by the International Science Council (ISC) and the United Nations
Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). IRDR promotes a multidisciplinary approach
to dealing with the challenges brought by natural disasters, mitigating their impacts,
and improving related policy-making mechanisms (www.irdrinternational.org). The complexity
of the task is such that it requires the full integration of research expertise from
the natural, socioeconomic, health, and engineering sciences as well as policy-making,
coupled with an understanding of the role of communications and public and political
responses to reduce the risk.
The overall mission of IRDR is to develop transdisciplinary, multi-sectorial alliances
for the following:
In-depth, practical disaster risk reduction research studies
The implementation of effective evidence-based disaster risk policies and practices
Its main research objectives are the following:
Characterization of hazard, vulnerability, and risk
Effective decision-making in complex and changing risk context
Reducing risk and curbing losses through knowledge-based actions
It is through this mission IRDR contributes to Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015–2030 and to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
At the 4th World Landslide Forum held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2017, the Chair of
IRDR Scientific Committee signed ISDR-ICL Sendai Partnership 2015–2025 for Global
Promotion of Understanding and Reducing Landslide Disaster Risk. This marked the official
commitment of IRDR toward cooperation with ICL and its main partners. Since 2017,
IRDR has taken actions through its own program in the development of Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR hereafter) research and technical training on landslides and mountain
hazards. The actions include: (1) UNESCO-IRDR cooperation in the 3rd Huangshan Dialogue
on UNESCO Sites and Sustainable Development 2018 where a specific session on Disaster
Risk Assessment and Mitigation for UNESCO Sites (IDAs) addressed the issues of landslides
disaster risks at IDAs; (2) The special session on DRR in IDAs in May 2019 at the
International Conference on Silk-roads Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development,
which brought further the international discussion; and (3) Two IRDR working papers
to address landslide risk in Himalaya mountain areas and landslides in permafrost
zones in Northern Asia. IRDR and its International Programme Office (IPO) also actively
participated in scientific symposium of ICL/IPL and the preparation work of WLF5.
In this context, IRDR anticipates very active roles in its new progamme phase for
the implementation of KLC 2020. These are especially in Action 1 for people centered
early warning, Action 2 on hazard and vulnerability mapping and Action 5 in promotion
of open communication with local governments, communities and society at large through
integrated research, capacity building, knowledge transfer and education, and Action
6 to investigate the effect of climate change on landslide risk.
Sabo Planning Division, Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: https://www.mlit.go.jp/en/index.html
In 2018, the Sabo Planning Division, Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Transport and
Tourism (MLIT hereafter) marked 80 years since its predecessor organization; the Sabo
Department of MLIT was established in 1938. The Sabo Department has been mandated
to take necessary countermeasures for sediment disasters in Japan. Specifically, it
has been responsible for measures against sediment runoff from upstream areas of rivers,
such as debris flows, landslides, etc. The Sabo Department has long been supporting
the activities of WLF5 and has endorsed the KCL 2020 and signed it in September 2019.
It also serves as an advisor to the journal Landslides. It supported every relevant
international event such as the 2018 INTERPRAEVENT Congress held in Japan (http://www.interpraevent.at/?tpl=news.php&kategorie=1&id=112).
It has also been contributing to the activities of the National Institute for Land
and Infrastructure Management (NILIM), the research division of MLIT, and the Public
Works Research Institute (PWRI), one of Japanese National Research and Development
Agencies, by making a number of research presentations.
In addition to its research activities, it has also made numerous contributions to
sediment disaster countermeasures, including those for landslides. In collaboration
with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), MLIT sent engineers to many
landslide prone areas in countries such as Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, etc.,
to help develop sediment disaster countermeasure technologies. In recent years, it
has promoted cooperation on countermeasures against sediment disasters in Brazil and
Sri Lanka by providing technical support to develop hazard maps and early warning
information systems. Given the worldwide climate change leading to a higher frequency
of landslide activity, the Sabo Planning Division, MLIT, anticipates its role to expand
providing further technical supports to developing countries in line with the KLC
2020.
National Civil Protection Department, Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: http://www.protezionecivile.gov.it/home
The Italian Civil Protection Department, an office of the Presidency of the Council
of Ministers, in close and synergic cooperation with regional and local governments,
coordinates a variety of actions and activities aimed at preventing, forecasting,
and monitoring a number of natural and technological hazards and risks. Landslides
are one of the primary hazards considered by the Civil Protection Department. The
specific interest of the Civil Protection Department on landslides and their problems
is due to the extremely large density of landslides in Italy, and the severe vulnerability
to landslides of the population, the built-up environment, the infrastructure, and
the environment. Since its inception, the Italian Civil Protection Department has
had a close collaboration with the academic and research world and chiefly with research
scientists interested in advancing knowledge about landslides, their hazards, and
risk, in Italy and elsewhere in the world. For more than three decades, the Department
has funded, through its centers of expertise, three of which are members of the International
Consortium of Landslides (ICL), research and technological development activities
and the dissemination of a risk culture, on several landslide-related topics, including
the mapping and monitoring of landslides, also using innovative remote sensing technologies
from the ground, air, and satellites, early warning systems, from the local to the
national scales, and landslide risk assessment, with emphasis on the risk to the population
of Italy. A signatory of the Sendai, 2015–2025 agreement, the Civil Protection Department
has a keen interest on the KLC 2020 agreement aimed at reducing the risk of landslides,
in Italy and elsewhere.
Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, Davos, Switzerland
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: https://grforum.org/about-us/team/
The Foundation Global Risk Forum GRF Davos is an international organization, founded
in 2008 and based in Davos, Switzerland, and aims, through its various activities,
at bridging the various gaps between science, administration, the private sector,
the practice, and the public regarding risk reduction, disaster management and resilience,
climate change mitigation, and adaptation. “From Thoughts to Action” by closely linking
practice, science, policy, and decision-making in the search for sustainable solutions—this
is the credo of GRF Davos, thus promoting a truly integrative and participative approach
to ensure that the valuable lessons learned about risk reduction and disaster management
from a wide spectrum are applied correctly to create safer, more resilient, and thus
sustainable societies for the benefit of communities, countries, and regions. GRF
Davos is based on three pillars—conferences, education, and research and development.
The conference pillar already started with the 1st International Disaster and Risk
Conference IDRC in Davos, Switzerland, in 2006. It is organized as a biennial global
conference in Davos since 2006, with some regional conferences in China since 2007,
and since 2017 also in Sendai, Japan, with GRF as partner of the Sendai World Bosai
Forum. GRF also provides education and training courses at universities and does some
research, development, and consulting activities in its third pillar. GRF Davos through
its various activities aims at serving as a Centre of Excellence in knowledge and
know-how exchange for the application of timely and appropriate risk management strategies,
tools, and practical solutions, thus reducing vulnerability for all types of risks
and disasters and increase resilience to protect life, property, environment, critical
infrastructures, and all means of businesses on a sustainable basis. GRF Davos strives
for an improved understanding, analysis, assessment, and management of risks and disasters
that affect human safety and security at large. COVID-19 in particular demonstrates
how people are highly vulnerable at a global scale and that most countries were not
prepared to cope with a pandemic disease due to the lack of an integrative risk management
approach at national levels. Prevention and resilience measures are important for
people and communities to render social groups more adaptable to such kind of disaster.
GRF Davos since its beginning follows a multi-sectors and disciplines approach in
order to holistically address risks and manage disasters at all levels. That is why
GRF Davos strongly supports all the valuable initiatives, programs, and actions of
ICL, in particular the KLC 2020 Actions. GRF Davos was also among the first group
of partners to sign on the planned Kyoto 2020 commitment for global promotion of understanding
and reducing landslide disaster risk.
International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment
Date of signature: 1 October 2019
URL: https://www.iaeg.info/
“Engineering Geology is the science devoted to the investigation, study and solution
of the engineering and environmental problems which may arise as the result of the
interaction between geology and the works and anthropological activities as well as
to the prediction and of the development of measures for prevention or remediation
of geological hazards” (IAEG Statutes, 1992).
The International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG) was
founded in 1964 and is affiliated to the International Union of Geological Sciences
(IUGS). IAEG is a worldwide scientific society with more than 4500 members and 66
national and regional groups. There are also 19 active professional commissions and
groups in different fields. IAEG publishes an official academic journal by Springer-Verlag
the Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment with 4 issues a year. And
IAEG awards the Hans Cloos Medal for the outstanding engineering geologist, Richard
Wolters Prize for young professional and Marcel Arnould Medal for IAEG member who
has made a significant contribution to the engineering geology profession in their
region and given outstanding service to the Association every 2 years. The official
languages of IAEG are English and French.
The aims of IAEG are to promote and encourage the advancement of Engineering Geology
through technological activities and research, to improve teaching and training in
Engineering Geology, and to collect, evaluate, and disseminate the results of engineering
geological activities on a worldwide basis.
International Geosynthetics Society (IGS)
Date of Signature: 18 September 2019
URL: https://www.geosyntheticssociety.org/
The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is a learned society dedicated to the
scientific and engineering development of geotextiles, geomembranes, related products,
and associated technologies. The vision of the IGS is that geosynthetics can be recognized
to be fundamental to sustainable development by providing technological and engineering
solutions to answer societal and environmental challenges.
The International Geosynthetics Society can trace its roots back to 1977 when the
International Conference on the use of Fabrics in Geotechnics occurred in Paris, France.
Today, the event is referred to as the First International Conference on Geotextiles.
Founded in Paris, France, in 1983 as the International Geotextile Society (IGS), the
IGS General Assembly approved the change of name to the International Geosynthetics
Society in 1994. Since the society’s beginnings, the IGS has grown to over 4000 members
including corporate, individual, and student members. With 47 chapters worldwide,
it is easy to be involved with the society by joining a local IGS chapter.
Geosynthetics are now being recognized as fundamental to sustainable development as
they can reduce carbon footprint by minimizing the use of natural resources. The IGS
has recently launched “Committee on Sustainability” to increase awareness on sustainable
development in relation to circular economy in the society. The committee is expected
to pave the way forward for the role and contribution of geosynthetics on sustainable
development as well. Geosynthetics products for slope reinforcement, drainage, and
erosion control, such as geogrids, geotextiles, and geocomposites, among others, are
being extensively used in man-made and natural slopes as mitigation measures for slope
failure. As the related technology evolves, geosynthetics products will further help
reduce landslide-related disasters.
Italian Chapter of IGS successfully organized a workshop on the use of geosynthetics
at World Landslide Forum (WLF) took place in Slovenia in 2017. Later IGS also participated
2019 ICL-IPL Conference which was held at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, on 16–19 September
2019 and signed KLC 2020 as the first signatory. International Geosynthetics Society
will continuously contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well
as to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
ICL supporting organizations as well as ICL full members
Geotechnical Engineering Office, Civil Engineering and Development Department, Hong
Kong SAR, China1
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: https://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/our-major-services/geotechnical/index.html
With sustained and dedicated efforts, the slope safety system developed by the Geotechnical
Engineering Office (GEO) has been managing effectively the landslide risk of Hong
Kong. The GEO will continue its effort in improving the slope safety system through
a range of new initiatives pertinent to making advancements in landslip warning, formulating
new strategies for strengthening community resilience, and undertaking cutting-edge
technical development work for enhancing landslide risk management practice. The work
is of direct relevance to a number of priority actions of KLC 2020 as detailed below.
(a) Advancement in landslip warning (pertinent to Priority Actions 1 and 3)
The GEO operates the Landslip Warning (LW) System in Hong Kong, based on the number
of landslides estimated from correlations between rainfall intensity and landslide
frequency. While this LW is established to target at raising the landslide risk awareness
of the general public during heavy rainfall, the GEO develops a smart landslide detection
system with an aim to provide alerts to the communities at locations vulnerable to
landslides. The system, comprising IoT sensors to detect landslide impact, is installed
in protective barriers. Any landslide impact on the barriers will immediately trigger
alerts disseminated through a LoRA-based radio gateway to the GEO and the local community
at the downstream of the barriers for emergency responses.
b) Strengthening community resilience (pertinent to Priority Action 5)
The GEO has been conducting a wide range of public education campaigns on slope safety
to build up community resilience against landslide hazard. In order to support the
formulation of the new strategy for further enhancing the community resilience, the
GEO has engaged social scientists to gauge the public perception on landslide risk,
identify target groups that most require engagement, and devise effective slope safety
messages. Novel technology has been adopted in the public education campaigns. Virtual
reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) games and videos conveying the slope safety
messages and self-help tips in case of landslide emergency are developed. VR training
packages pertinent to handling landslide emergency have also been launched.
c) Cutting-edge technical development work (pertinent to Priority Action 9)
The GEO has commissioned a range of collaborative projects with different research
agencies covering enhancement of landslide hazard identification and design of landslide
risk mitigation measures. One of the examples is the application of machine learning
to carry out automatic landslide mapping on aerial photographs for natural terrain
hazard assessment.
We commit ourselves to share our experience of landslide risk management and research
results with the world’s slope safety practitioners through technical exchange activities
and publications in journal Landslides and will proactively participate in suitable
collaboration projects with endeavors to achieve the goals of KCL 2020.
UNESCO Chair for the prevention and sustainable management of geo-hydrological hazards,
University of Firenze (UNIFI)
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: http://www.unesco-geohazards.unifi.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unesco.geohazards.florence
The UNESCO Chair for the prevention and sustainable management of geo-hydrological
hazards was established at the University of Firenze (UNIFI) and it is focused on
applied research and higher education in the field of geohazards threatening human
life, property, cultural heritage, and the natural and built environment.
The Chair actively promotes and develops (i) innovative technologies for the prevention
and mitigation of geo-hydrological hazards; (ii) tools and procedures for supporting
risk reduction policies and the management of emergencies for the safety of human
life; (iii) the protection of cultural heritage threatened by geo-hydrological hazards;
and (iv) research at the international level by offering scientific facilities to
postgraduate students and visiting researchers.
The University of Firenze signed the ISDR-ICL Sendai Partnership 2015–2025 for the
global promotion of understanding and reducing landslide disaster risk, which was
also signed by UNESCO and the Italian Government, among other partners, and UN organizations.
The Chair actively contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development and signed the Geneva Milestone in 2017 as a member
of the UNESCO network of Chairs in Natural Sciences.
The Chair, formerly as Department of Earth Sciences, University of Firenze, has long
been a member of ICL since its foundation in 2002 and has been awarded four times
(2008–2011, 2011–2014, 2014–2017, 2017–2020) the title of the World Centre of Excellence
(WCoE) in landslide risk reduction by the Global Promotion Committee of International
Programme on Landslides of UN-ISDR. Since 2002, the UNESCO Chair has coordinated or
has been involved in several ICL/IPL projects and UNESCO Chair is the proposer of
the ICL Italian network that has been officially established in December 2018. The
Chair has contributed to the growth and success of Landslides: Journal of the International
Consortium on Landslides and it will host the 6th World Landslide Forum in Firenze,
in 2023.
The Chair is involved in activities of international cooperation for the prevention
and reduction of geo-hydrological risk in the UNESCO World Heritage sites, particularly
in less developed countries.
The Chair has also been the center of competence on geo-hydrological risk for the
Italian Civil Protection Department, since 2005; a member of the International Consortium
on Geo-disaster Reduction (ICGdR), since 2014; a member of the Global Alliance of
Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI), one of founding members since 2015; and a member
of the Joint International Centre on Natural Hazards (JIC-Nh), a co-founding member
since 2016.
In 2019, the UNESCO Chair has signed KLC 2020 and will strongly support its actions,
especially KCL 2020 Actions 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9.
Geoenvironmental Hazard Research Center, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral
Resources
Date of signature: 20 August 2019
URL: www.kigam.re.kr
The landslide hazard research team of Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources
(KIGAM) is conducting research on the development of landslide prediction models,
monitoring, and early warning systems, starting with a study on the characteristics
of landslide occurrences in the Republic of Korea. Recently, a physically based landslide
prediction model and a robust early warning system equipped with a model capable of
predicting landslides 24 hours in advance were developed on the basis of rainfall
forecasting technology using weather radar information. K-LAMOS (KIGAM landslide monitoring
system) has been built in and operated at 13 monitoring stations in 9 different mountainous
areas since 2014. Also, the prototype landslide early warning system at Mt. Jiri area
(20 km2) was developed in 2019 and this system has been improved and operated.
The landslide hazard research team of KIGAM joined the International Consortium on
Landslides (ICL) with full membership in 2005 and has deeply been committed to the
ICL activities. In 2006, KIGAM participated in the joint initiative of the ICL Tokyo
Action Plan, and in 2007, KIGAM and ICL signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
The research theme of the MOU was the Asian Joint Research Project for Early Warning
of Landslide. In 2011, the ICL North-East Asia Network (ICL-NEA) was formed; and the
International Symposium on Landslides organized by Korea Forest Research Institute
(KFRI) and ICL-NEA was held from 13 to 15 June 2013, in Seoul, Korea.
The landslide hazard research team of KIGAM is conducting international research networking
in northeast Asian research organizations including Kyoto University, National Taiwan
University, and Shimane University. Since 2009, it has co-hosted the “Korea-Italy
Joint Seminar on Landslide Hazards” every other year. Main researchers from Korea
Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Sejong University in
Korea, University of Firenze, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (CNR-IRPI),
and University of Bologna in Italy participated in every seminar. It also hosted the
“Regular Training Course on Landslide Hazards” organized by KIGAM International School
for Geoscience Resources (IS-Geo, https://isgeo.kigam.re.kr/eng/) from 2011 to 2018.
The participants were public officials and researchers from developing countries such
as South East & Central Asian Countries and African Countries, including Korea.
Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: https://www.en.fgg.uni-lj.si/
In 2019, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering of the University of Ljubljana
(UL FGG; https://www.en.fgg.uni-lj.si/) celebrated its centennial. UL FGG, covering
technical disciplines of civil and geodetic engineering, as well as water science
and technology, has been involved in landslide risk reduction activities in Slovenia
for decades. For more than 20 years, UL FGG is supporting activities of the International
Research Society INTERPRAEVENT (www.interpraevent.at) in the field of natural disaster
risk reduction including landslide risk. In the field of capacity building, UL FGG
offers courses for graduate and postgraduate students in landslide mechanics, dynamics
and stabilization, and landslide risk mitigation.
Since 2008, UL FGG has been a full member of the International Consortium on Landslides
(ICL) and is gradually intensifying its contributions to the ICL worldwide efforts
for landslide risk reduction and international promotion of landslide research. UL
FGG has been awarded four times (2008–2011, 2011–2014, 2014–2017, 2017–2020) the title
of the World Centre of Excellence (WCoE) in landslide risk reduction. UL FGG has contributed
to International Programme on Landslides (IPL) by various research projects approved
by the IPL Global Promotion Committee; to the growth and success of the Landslides:
Journal of the International Consortium on Landslides; to organization of triennial
World Landslide Forums (WLF), especially by hosting the 4th WLF in Ljubljana in 2017;
and to the ICL thematic and regional networks by active involvement into the Landslide
Monitoring and Warning Thematic Network and the ICL Adriatic-Balkan Regional Network.
In 2016, the UNESCO Chair in water-related disaster risk reduction (www.unesco-floods.eu)
was established at University of Ljubljana, hosted by UL FGG, thus contributing to
the UNESCO/KU/icl landslide and water-related disaster risk management for Society
and the Environment Cooperation Programme, signed in 2010.
In 2019, UL FGG hosted, together with the Slovenian Chamber of Engineers, the World
Construction Forum 2019 in Ljubljana on “Buildings and Infrastructure Resilience.”
One of the WCF 2019 themes on Disaster Risk Management and Governance for Resilient
Communities was co-organized by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations
(WFEO)—all lectures given are available at www.wcf2019.org, as a contribution to Open
Science efforts.
UL FGG continuously contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as
well as to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. Therefore,
in 2019, UL FGG has signed KLC 2020 and will strongly support its actions, especially
KCL 2020 Actions 2, 5, 6, 9, and 10.
ICL full members
Geological Survey of Canada, NRCan, Canada
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-data/science-research/earth-sciences/geological-survey-canada/17100
The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) is part of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural
Resources Canada. The GSC is Canada’s oldest scientific agency and one of its first
government organizations. It was founded in 1842 to help develop a viable Canadian
mineral industry by establishing the general geological base on which the industry
could plan detailed investigations. Throughout its long and colorful history, the
GSC has played a leading role in exploring the nation. Today, the GSC is Canada’s
national organization for geoscientific information and research. Its world class
expertise focuses on the sustainable development of Canada’s mineral, energy, and
water resources; stewardship of Canada’s environment; management of natural geological
and related hazards; and technology innovation. The GSC celebrated its 175th anniversary
in 2017 which coincided with Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation.
Since 2002, the GSC has been a full member of the International Consortium on Landslides
(ICL) and has been gradually intensifying its contributions to the ICL worldwide efforts
for landslide risk reduction and international promotion of landslide research. The
GSC has been twice recognized as a World Centre of Excellence (WCoE) in landslide
risk reduction. Throughout its membership, the GSC has contributed actively to the
International Programme on Landslides (IPL) through a number of research projects
approved by the IPL Global Promotion Committee; to the growth and success of Landslides:
Journal of the International Consortium on Landslides, participated in all triennial
World Landslide Forum (WLF); and to the ICL thematic and regional networks where possible.
On behalf of the Government of Canada, GSC’s activities under its core responsibility
support Canada’s efforts to address the UN 2030 Agenda and the achievement of several
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015–2030. NRCan’s work under the Emergency Management Strategy contributes
to SDG 11, sustainable cities and communities through ongoing research, and the implementation
of tools that reduce risk and prevent harm caused by natural hazards including landslides.
In 2019, the GSC signed the KLC 2020 and will strongly support its actions.1030
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: www.ualbertageotech.ca
The University of Alberta (UAlberta) Geotechnical Centre is a rigorous and active
research team of 9 faculty members and over 100 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows,
research associates, and technicians. Our faculty members’ expertise spans a range
of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering subjects, including landslides and
ground hazards, railway engineering, geomechanical reservoir engineering, and cold
regions engineering, among others. UAlberta has a prolific and internationally esteemed
history of research, development, and practice in landslides and ground hazards research,
and our academics have a track record of high-level involvement (e.g., Distinguished
University Professor Emeritus N.R. Morgenstern was an Expert Advisory Committee Member
for the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and Associate
Professor Michael Hendry is the Principal Investigator for our current World Centre
of Excellence (WCoE) designation (2017–2020)). Details of the breadth, depth, and
track record of our Centre can be found at www.ualbertageotech.ca.
Since 2017, UAlberta has been a full member of the International Consortium on Landslides
(ICL) and was awarded the title of WCoE in landslide risk reduction for the period
of 2017–2020. Our Centre’s ongoing research and programs at UAlberta strongly align
with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework
for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, and especially KCL 2020 Actions 1, 2, 3, 5,
6, 8, 9, and 10. Our research activities focus on evaluating the performance of monitoring
technologies and remedial methods to mitigate natural hazards and the use of these
technologies to find previously unidentified natural hazards. Through the Railway
Ground Hazard Research Group (RGHRP), UAlberta made significant contributions to the
understanding of natural hazards that impact railway operations and other types of
linear infrastructure (e.g., quantifying the hazard posed by rock falls and developing
correlations between the temporal distributions of rock falls to climatic conditions).
Through the Ripley Landslide, a national collaborative multi-sector research site
with Transport Canada, the Geological Survey of Canada, and Canadian National and
Canadian Pacific Railways, UAlberta significantly contributes to the testing of multiple
landslide monitoring technologies, ranging from space-based InSAR (provided by the
Canadian Space Agency) and novel acoustic systems to traditional natural instruments.
This comprehensive technology testing program allows comparisons of the accuracy of
these systems and their suitability and usefulness. Our Centre conducted a comprehensive
investigation of the site with boreholes, geophysics, and laboratory testing. This
work represents a cumulative investment of over $1,000,000 CAD in instrumentation,
drilling, laboratory testing, and geophysics. The site is opened to other researchers
who wish to try new monitoring technologies at this site; this has led to collaboration
with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the British Geological Survey, and the University
of Loughborough in the UK.
Institute of Cold Regions Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: http://en.nefu.edu.cn/
Institute of Cold Regions Science and Engineering of Northeast Forestry University
(ICRSE-NEFU) is committed to the environmental geology and engineering geology of
high-latitude permafrost region and deep seasonal frozen area under the background
of climate change and attaches importance to the combination of basic research and
applied research. With undergraduate, master, doctor, and postdoctoral professional
training system and standards, combined with regional development needs, ICRSE-NEFU
initiated “Geological environment risk research plan for permafrost degraded areas
in Northeast China (GERRP).” In order to accumulate long-term field observation data,
with the support of the Chinese government, “Field scientific observation and research
station of the Ministry of Education - Geological environment system of permafrost
area in Northeast China (FSSE-PFNEC)” was established. Its observation stations cover
all kinds of permafrost areas in Northeast China. At the same time, in order to develop
and transfer technologies related to environmental governance and transportation infrastructure
construction in permafrost regions, “Provincial Collaborative Innovation Centre -
Environment and road construction & maintenance in permafrost area of Northeast China
(PCIC-PFER)” was established. Over the years, ICRSE-NEFU have continuously established
cooperation with academic institutions and organizations at home and abroad, held
various academic exchanges and regularly held “Academic Seminar on Engineering Geology
and Environmental Geology in the Permafrost Along the Sino-Russian-Mongolian Economic
Corridor,” edited and published research cases of geoenvironmental disasters in permafrost
regions in Northeast China, and shared the research results of GERRP. At present,
the research results of GERRP are gradually enriched, and some of them have highly
academic value and have been put into engineering practice.
ICRSE-NEFU has gradually shown its unique research charm since it became an ICL member
in 2002. In 2012, ICRSE-NEFU established a landslide research network in cold regions
(ICL-CRLN) and held its first academic meeting in Harbin, China, in July 2014. The
conference exchange results were published in Springer. ICRSE-NEFU is also one of
the conveners of all previous World Landslide Forum (WLF)—the session of Landslide
in Cold Region, as well as is the location of WCoE (landslide research in cold regions).
It has several research projects approved by IPL Global Promotion Committee. At WLF3
held in Beijing in 2014, the research results were recognized and awarded by UNESCO.
ICRSE-NEFU continuously contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
as well as to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. Therefore,
in 2019, ICRSE-NEFU signed KLC 2020 and will strongly support its actions, especially
KLC 2020 Actions 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10.
Faculty of Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)
Date of signature: 18 September 2019
URL: http://en.cug.edu.cn/
China University of Geosciences (CUG), founded in 1952, is a national key university
affiliated with the Ministry of Education. It is listed in the National “211 Project,”
the “985 Innovation Platform for Advantageous Disciplines” and the “Double First-class
Plan.” CUG, featuring geosciences, is a comprehensive university that also offers
a variety of degree programs in science, engineering, literature, management, economics,
law, education, and arts. The subjects of Geology and Geological Resources and Geological
Engineering at CUG have both been top-ranked in China since its foundation. Its Earth
Science, Engineering, Environmental Studies and Ecology, Materials Science, Chemistry,
and Computer Science have entered the top 1% of global ESI (Essential Science Indicators),
with Earth Science in the top 1‰ of the list.
CUG, covering technical disciplines of geological engineering and civil engineering,
as well as groundwater science and geodetic engineering, has been involved in landslide
risk reduction activities in China for decades. The research groups of CUG have obtained
remarkable achievements in the prevention and mitigation of landslide geohazards.
For example, CUG has built an Experimental Site of geohazards inside a giant landslide
in Badong County and has established the Model District of the National Comprehensive
Geohazards Control in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, providing plenty of materials for
research, teaching, and training of landslide geohazards all around the world.
CUG, as a full member of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL), has been
gradually intensifying its contributions to the ICL worldwide efforts for landslide
risk reduction and control study. Badong International Geohazards Symposium (BIGS2017
and BIGS2019) series initiated by CUG, based on the Experimental Site and the Model
District, have become a well-known brand and offered a great opportunity for scholars
around the world to communicate and cooperate in prevention and mitigation of landslide
geohazards.
In 2019, CUG signed KLC 2020 in Paris and will strongly support its actions, especially
KCL 2020 Actions 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10.