ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on advances that improve site characterization applied to landslide problems. It presents the view that one of the most exciting developments is the growing potential for application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and that making GIS goetechnically smart is a transformative development. The assessment of landslide susceptibility goes beyond the cataloguing of landslides by including areas that are susceptible to sliding. A number of technical advances are leading to dramatic improvements in the study of landslides and the evaluation of appropriate risk mitigation measures. Landslide data management and analysis of all kinds in GIS will be essential for future progress in landslide engineering as three-dimensional visualization and modelling capabilities improve. Application of analysis of rockfall within GIS and complex slope stability evaluation with the aid of GIS are presented to illustrate developments and provide direction for future enhancements.
