LANDSLIDES AND CLIMATE CHANGE – CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

The International Conference on ‘Landslides and Climate Change - Challenges and Solutions’ held in May 2007 in the town of Ventnor, Isle of Wight, UK, follows the very successful conference on ‘Instability - Planning and Management’, held in Ventnor in May 2002. The decision to hold this Conference on ‘Landslides and Climate Change’ follows on from the recent completion of a three-year study, entitled ‘RESPONSE: Responding to the risks from climate change’, which received financial support from the European Union LIFE Environment Programme. The RESPONSE Project highlighted the importance of developing and implementing cost-effective solutions and examined the legal and administrative frameworks for hazard and risk management across Europe. Nine partner organisations in the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Poland participated, led by the Isle of Wight Council’s Centre for the Coastal Envi­ronment, UK. The Conference will offer an opportunity to disseminate as widely as possible the findings from the European RESPONSE Project. Landslides and Climate Change - Mclnnes, Jakeways, Fairbank & Mathie (eds) The increasing frequency of extreme weather events has highlighted our vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and has resulted in enormous human and economic losses. The purpose of this Conference is therefore to consider the practical experiences of landslide hazard management and risk governance in a changing climate and to bring together a range of interest groups, including engineers, planners, practitioners, regional and local authorities, academics and politicians. The Conference organisers very much hope that this Conference and the field visits will provide an opportunity to allow exchange of experiences and ideas within the unique environment of the Isle of Wight. The organising committee would like to thank all the authors whose contributions form these proceedings.