Case study on local landslide risk management during crisis by means of remote sensing data

A case study of rapid landslide mapping in Southern Italy is here presented. A complex landslide affected the small village of Cavallerizzo di Cerzeto on March 7th 2005 causing several damages and the evacuation of the inhabitants. Civil protection authorities were immediately activated for the emergency and risk management. As an integration of in situ monitoring and field surveys, remote sensing data were used due to their quick availability and capability for rapid landslide motion survey. Very high resolution optical images and data from radar satellites were processed and analyzed; they were integrated with information from field survey and ancillary data. The analysis of the area affected by land movements was performed in 5 working days; this represents a good response for civil protection activities and demonstrates that remote sensing data are a valuable during emergency planning and risk management.