M. Mikoš. Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

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1 Proceedings of the Mediterranean Meeting on Monitoring, modelling and early warning of extreme events triggered by heavy rainfalls. PON 01_ MED-FRIEND project University of Calabria, Cosenza (Italy), June 26 th -28 th, 2014 AN OUTLOOK ON THE 4 TH WORLD LANDSLIDE FORUM IN 2017 IN LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA M. Mikoš Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia ABSTRACT International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) organizes a triennial World Landslide Forum (WLF): starting in 2008 in Tokyo with the WLF 1, the WLF 2 was organised in 2011 in Rome, Italy, and the WLF 3 was organised in Beijing in China. The next WLF 4 will be organised in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2017 by the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, and the Slovenian Geological Survey. The paper briefly introduces the structure and the aims of the ICL, and presents the outline of the work at the WLF 3 in Beijing, China in June INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON LANDSLIDES ICL International Consortium on Landslides (ICL; was established on January 21, 2002, in Kyoto, Japan, in cooperation between UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; and the University of Kyoto in Japan ( according to preliminary activities of various experts in the field of protection against landslides. The Consortium was established as an international governmental and non-profit making scientific organization, and from August 2002 it operates as a separate legal entity with its secretariat based in Kyoto, Japan. According to the Consortium Statute, members of the consortium are those institutions that intellectually, practically and financially support the actions of the ICL - the main objectives of the operation are set out in the ICL Statute ( as follows: promoting landslide research for the benefit of society and the environment, and capacity building, including education, notably in developing countries; integration of geosciences and technology within the appropriate cultural and social contexts in order to evaluate landslide risk in urban, rural and developing areas, including cultural and natural heritage sites, as well as contributing to the protection of the natural environment and sites of high f societal value; combining and coordinating international expertise in landslide risk assessment and mitigation studies, thereby resulting in an effective international organization which will act as a partner in various international and national projects; and promoting a global, multidisciplinary Programme on Landslides (IPL). Members of the ICL may be inter-governmental, non-governmental, governmental and public organizations, and other organizations and entities. The Consortium is fully supported by many international institutions (

2 An outlook on the 4th World Landslide Forum in 2017 in Ljubljana, Slovenia Organization of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO). World Meteorological Organization (World Meteorological Organization - WMO). Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO). United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction - UN / ISDR). United Nations University (United Nations University - UNU). International Council for Science (International Council for Science - ICSU). World Federation of Engineering Organizations (World Federation of Engineering Organizations - WFEO). International Union of Geological Sciences (International Union of Geological Sciences - IUGS). In May 2014, the ICL has 57 active members from 32 countries around the world, with a focus on Asia and Europe (from the Mediterranean area: Albania 1, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1, Croatia 2, Italy 3, Serbia 1, and Slovenia 2). In Slovenia the two active members are: Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL FGG, 2008), and Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS from 2011). There is a mutual interest of other countries to step into the membership of the ICL. The annual membership fee (between 500 USD and 5000 USD) is determined using the World Bank data on Gross National Income per capita; i.e. for non-developed countries membership fee is 500 USD or 1000 USD. 2. INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON LANDSLIDES IPL In January 2006, a round table was organized at the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo, Japan, which adopted the Tokyo Action Plan 2006 ( entitled Strengthening Research and Learning on Earth System Risk Analysis and Sustainable Disaster Management within UN-ISDR as Regards Landslides. Tokyo Action Plan 2006 founded the International Programme on Landslides (IPL) as a joint program of the ICL and those international organizations that support the ICL ( UNESCO, WMO, FAO, UN-ISDR, UNU, ICSU, IUGS and WFEO). The IPL program is managed by a special Global Promotion Committee, composed of the representatives of the ICL and the five United Nations organizations working in the field of protection against landslides, and the representatives of those global non-governmental organizations in the field of science and engineering ( The Headquarters of the IPL is also in Kyoto, in the premises of the Secretariat of the ICL. The main directions of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL) are: issuing of the scientific journal Landslides, organizing global forums on landslides (WLF) recognizing World Centres of Excellence in the field of protection against landslides (WCoE) approving of IPL projects and managing of these activities.

3 M. Mikoš At the conference on the 10th ICL anniversary in January 2012, the consortium has prepared and adopted the ICL Strategic Plan : to create a safer geoenvironment). Strategic Plan ICL has recognized the global challenges of ICL and IPL in the next decade as follows: Promote a multidisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research, new areas of research and technology development. Strengthening of cooperation with partner organizations in the context of specific projects. Providing professional expertise, knowledge and advice to governments around the world. Developing the capacity of companies and individuals, education and recognition. Communication, web marketing and landslides. Publications. Improving the sustainable operation of ICL and the strengthening of the Secretariat. In the strategic plan, individual challenges are described in detail. 3. THE WORLD LANDSLIDE FORUM (WLF) This activity of the ICL is a unique global event that occurs every three years: first Forum was held in November 2008 in Tokyo, Japan (WLF-1; proceedings available online: Sassa and Canuti, 2009), second Forum in October 2011 in Rome, Italy (WLF-2; Margottini et al., 2013), and the third Forum in June 2014 in Beijing, China (WLF-3; Sassa et al., 2014a; 2014b; 2014c). Figure 1. At the WLF III in Bejing, China also 15 new World Centres of Excellence on Landslide Disaster Reduction (WCoE) for the period were recognized in the center of this photo is Ms. Irina Bokova, the Director General of UNESCO.

4 An outlook on the 4th World Landslide Forum in 2017 in Ljubljana, Slovenia Figure 2. At The scientific and organizing committee of the WLF 3 in Bejing, China with some of the over 400 forum participants. A short overview of the activities of the WLF 3 in Beijing, China in June 2014 is as follows: The Forum with the motto Landslide Risk Mitigation: Toward a Safer Geoenvironment, has indicated the importance of science and knowledge as well as of practice and applications as two equally important poles in the field of protection against landslides. The Forum visited close to 500 participants from 38 countries, mainly from China (206), Japan (28), Italy (27), South Korea (22) and two from Slovenia. The work at the Forum was carried out in 42 different sessions, and the participants contributed 465 articles (proceedings are published in 4 books). At the Forum 15 World Centres of Excellence on Landslide Disaster Reduction (WCoE; Fig. 1; among them also UL FGG, which was recognized as WCoE for the periods and ); the three best IPL projects were also recognized. The Varnes Medal was handed to the Professor of Geotechnical Engineering Luciano Picarelli (1949- ) from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Naples Other (Seconda Università di Napoli). The Forum adopted the Beijing Declaration There were organized two post-forum tours with scientific background. 4. CONCLUSIONS All readers are invited to attend the 4 th World Landslide Forum ( with the working title Landslide Research and Risk Reduction for Advancing the Culture of Living with Natural Hazards to be held between May 29, and June 2, 2017 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, EU.

5 M. Mikoš REFERENCES Margottini C., Canuti P., Sassa K. (eds.) (2013). Landslide Science and Practice. Vol. 1 Landslide Inventory and Susceptibility and Hazard Zoning; Vol. 2 - Early Warning, Instrumentation and Monitoring; Vol. 3 - Spatial Analysis and Modelling; Vol. 4 - Global Environmental Change; Vol. 5 - Complex Environment; Vol. 6 - Risk Assessment, Management and Mitigation; Vol. 7 - Social and Economic Impact and Policies. Springer- Verlag, Berlin. Sassa K., Canuti P. (eds.) (2009). Landslides Disaster Risk Reduction. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 650 p., ISBN Sassa K., Canuti P., Yin Y. (eds.) (2014a). Landslide Science for a Safer Geoenvironment. Springer Verlag, Berlin. Vol. 1: The International Programme on Landslides. 493 p., ISBN: Sassa K., Canuti P., Yin Y. (eds.) (2014b). Landslide Science for a Safer Geoenvironment. Springer Verlag, Berlin. Vol. 2: Methods of Landslide Studies. 851 p., ISBN Sassa K., Canuti P., Yin Y. (eds.) (2014c). Landslide Science for a Safer Geoenvironment. Springer Verlag, Berlin. Vol. 3: Targeted Landslides. 717 p., ISBN: