Design and Installation of a Local Monitoring System to Validate Debris Flow Methodology for Risk Mitigation

Landslides pose significant threats to communities and infrastructure worldwide, necessitating the development of effective hazard and exposure reduction strategies to mitigate the potential risks. In particular, debris flows can be highly destructive landslides. The paper deals with an integrated monitoring system designed both to further validate an existing debris flow inception and propagation methodology developed by the authors and to fine-tune the landslide inception and warning model to be used in an early warning system. The design of the integrated monitoring system, the definition of the acquisition time of instruments, and the processing of the measured data were based on studies performed in the study area of Favazzina (Italy), which is affected by debris flows that are very difficult to monitor. The proposed approach used to design the integrated monitoring system may serve as a useful methodological tool to be adopted in similar geological and geotechnical contexts within the framework of risk mitigation strategies.