Operational Landslide Early-Warning Systems (LEWS) in Italy

In recent years, Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) have garnered increasing attention, both from the scientific community and from professionals engaged in prevention, monitoring, and forecasting activities.

However, the extensive scientific literature on the subject primarily focuses on the development of algorithms, methods, and experiments. This literature often falls short in bridging the significant gap between the theoretical design of an early warning system and its actual operational deployment (though exceptions exist, as indicated by Guzzetti et al. 2020). This disparity poses a pivotal challenge in the sector. An effective system transcends mere theoretical algorithmic creation; it necessitates, among other factors, a pragmatic understanding of end-user requirements, a seamless and continuous operational framework, and efficient communication tools.

The Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection Research of the National Research Council (IRPI CNR) has pioneered the domain of geographical LEWS in Italy. By managing five regional and national-scale geographical LEWS in collaboration with the National Civil Protection and the national railway network operator, IRPI CNR has highlighted the practical significance of these systems. The institute has developed solutions tailored to provide decision-support tools aligning with diverse stakeholders' needs.

This contribution aims to illustrate how scientific research outcomes can be leveraged, transforming them into operational tools in line with decision-makers' requirements. The presentation offers a detailed overview of real-world use cases of LEWS administered by IRPI in Italy. Emphasis is placed on disseminating information to end-users, specifically practical operators, and on the agreed-upon tools and approaches to distribute information and trigger alerts. More specifically, we describe 5 LEWS aimed at predicting the possible initiation of rainfall-induced landslides. Three of these systems operate at a regional scale (two administrative regions and a single railway segment in the Apennine region), while the other two cover the entire national territory, with the objective of assessing the potential initiation of rainfall-induced landslides and their potential impact on the national railway network. These systems differ in the type and quantity of data used in the forecasting chain, the extent of monitored areas, product resolutions, interfaces, and communication systems.

The intent is to share our experiences, challenges, and solutions, thereby fostering advancements and refinements in landslide early warning systems at both national and international levels.