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Landslide Risk Assessment at Cultural Heritage Sites

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Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2

Abstract

Many cultural heritage sites such as castles, palaces, monasteries, temples and other important buildings have been constructed on or close to slopes. Once-stable slopes may become unstable over time through rock weathering, deformation by tectonic stress, and river erosion at the toe. Human activities such as mining, ground-water pumping, or irrigation may affect slope stability too. Some apparently stable slopes may be at risk of failing due to triggering factors such as earthquakes, or pore pressure rise during rain or snow melt. Sometimes slope creep can result in strength reduction in the potential shear zones and failure, even without strong triggering factors. This paper reports on activities for landslide risk assessments at three major cultural heritage sites in China (Lishan, Xian), Peru (Machu Picchu), and Japan (Unzen volcano). A series of studies have been conducted at these sites since 1991 as a part of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) and the International Programme on Landslides (IPL). The success of the landslide hazard assessment at the cultural heritage site in Xian, China greatly contributed to the establishment of ICL and IPL.

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Acknowledgments

The Japan-China joint research on Assessment of Landslide Hazards in Lishan was supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. The leader of the Chinese researchers was the 2010 Varnes Medal recipient, Dr. Zaiguan Lin of the Shannxi Engineering Investigation and Design Institute. Dr. Qiyuan An, former Director of China Seismological Bureau and Secretary-General of the Communist Party of the Shaanxi Provincial Government during this project, is acknowledged for his support. Dr. An decided to initiate landslide prevention works in Lishan, even though the slope had been stable for more than 1,000 years, based on the landslide risk analysis. He approved investment of funds from the Municipal, Provincial and National Governments of China (equivalent to about three million dollars US). The success of this project was a major milestone for the IGCP-425 Landslide Assessment and Cultural Heritage (1998–2003), as was the Machu Picchu investigation since 2000 and the establishment of the International Consortium on Landslides in 2002.

Thanks go to the following people for the Machu Picchu Project: Dr. Mutumi Ishituka, the Institute of Geofiscico del Peru (IGP), Mr. Edwin Benavente and Mr. Fernado Astete (INC), and Dr. Raul Carreno (Gurdec Ayar, deputy coordinator of IGCP-425 and ICL member) through the project. Mr. Gustavo Benza Pflucker, Executive Director of INC allowed us to fly over Machu Picchu in a chartered helicopter in 2000. Dr. Luis Lumbreras (National Director of INC) agreed with ICL to re-start the Machu Picchu project in 2003 after a few years’ interruption. Machu Picchu is under many authorities; an inter-institutional consulting commission to cooperate with ICL was established, including INRENA (Instituto National de Recursos Naturales of Peru), IGP, INGEMMET (Instituto Geologico Minero y Metalurgico of Peru), the Cusco Regional Government under the initiative of Dr. Romulo Mucho (Director of INGEMET, fomer vice president of ICL) in 2003. The commission successfully worked through 2004 and 2005.

For the Unzen Mayuyama study, Khang Quang Dang (ICL), Kimio Inoue (Sabo Frontier Foundation), the Unzen Restoration Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan (Director Yasuyuki Satou), and Mr. Kunihisa Terai (the Unzen Volcanic Area Global Geopark Office) are acknowledged for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Consortium on Landslides, 138-1 Tanaka Asukai-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8226, Japan

    Kyoji Sassa

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  1. Kyoji Sassa
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Correspondence to Kyoji Sassa .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Turin, Italy

    Giorgio Lollino

  2. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Turin, Italy

    Daniele Giordan

  3. Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Milan Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Giovanni B. Crosta

  4. Dept. of Geotechn. Engin. & Geosciences, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Corominas

  5. Dept. of Engin. Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Rafig Azzam

  6. Inst. for Geo-hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy

    Janusz Wasowski

  7. University G. D'Annunzi Chieti Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Nicola Sciarra

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Sassa, K. (2015). Landslide Risk Assessment at Cultural Heritage Sites. In: Lollino, G., et al. Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_6

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