Acceleration of a large deep-seated tropical landslide due to urbanization feedbacks

The movement of large, slow-moving, deep-seated landslides is regulated principally by changes in pore-water pressure the slope. In urban areas, drastic reorganization surface and subsurface hydrology—for example, associated with roads, housings or storm drainage—may alter hydrology ultimately slope stability. Yet our understanding influence urbanization on dynamics remains elusive. Here we combined satellite (historical) aerial images to quantify how 70 years hillslope changed seasonal, annual multi-decadal a slow-moving landslide located tropical environment city Bukavu, Democratic Republic Congo. Analysis week-to-week motion over past 4.5 reveals that it closely tied changes, pointing interacting influences from climate, weathering, tectonics development dynamics. Over decadal timescales, find sprawl urbanized areas led acceleration large section landslide, which was probably driven self-reinforcing feedbacks involving movement, rerouting water flows pipe ruptures. As hillslopes many cities are being at an accelerating pace, better anthropogenic activity processes will be vital effective risk planning mitigation. A underlying Bukavu Congo has accelerated recent decades due hydrological modifications related urbanization, according analysis photographs remote-sensing data.