Assessing landslide risks across varied land-use types in the face of climate change

Landslides pose a significant threat to human lives, infrastructure, and environmental stability worldwide, especially in mountainous regions. Under the influence of climate change, such impacts will become even more severe. With the projected changes in extreme weather events, such as intensified typhoons and heavier rainfall due to climate change, Taiwan faces an increased risk of landslides owing to climate change. This study aims to evaluate the susceptibility of Taiwan to landslides under these changing climatic conditions. The risk assessment framework used in this study incorporates hazard, exposure, and vulnerability components to understand the extent of the impact of climate change on landslides. The hazard assessment used climate change projection rainfall data, and the vulnerability assessment identified landslide-prone areas based on historical landslide data. By overlaying different land-use types with the hazard vulnerability index, the study produced landslide risk maps for various land-use categories under climate change. The results highlight settlements, transportation, and public facilities as high-risk categories, warranting targeted adaptation strategies. Agriculture and water infrastructure show lower risks but still require monitoring and mitigation. This study emphasizes the importance of informed decision-making, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction measures to safeguard communities and critical infrastructure. The findings contribute to global efforts in disaster risk assessment and preparedness in mountainous regions, and the methodologies employed in the research can be applied in other regions facing similar challenges.