Global objective for 2016-2017: Reliable estimates of expected location, timing and intensity of slope movements (slide, fall, flow, collapse, subsidence) are required for the design of risk reduction measures (hazard/risk mapping, emergency planning, defense works and insurance premiums). Further, the relevance of slope movement zoning for environmental policy is set forth in the EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection.

In practice, this information is obtained through the evaluation of slope movement occurrences based on the analysis of conditionning factors of observed events (inventories) to infer a probabilistic behavior, which is then extrapolated at the scale of a territory. The challenge for slope hazard assessments (in various environments, e.g. mountain and coastal areas) is that, unlike other geohazards, these phenomena are rather localized and often not observed directly. Despite their distinct locations, they might occur widespread in a given region.