Climate change and slope stability in the UK: challenges and approaches

It is now widely accepted that climate change is occurring and that this will affect the processes and parameters that determine the stability of slopes. There remains, however, significant uncertainty in forecasting these changes in the long term. This issue was addressed in a series of workshops, organized as part of a UK-wide network on CLimate Impact Forecasting For Slopes (CLIFFS). The major outcomes from the workshop discussions provide a focus for the modelling environment relevant to long-term forecasting of slope stability that include better definition of material properties, improved understanding of processes (notably an upgrading from the site-specific to the regional scale) and more effective communication to achieve synergies of understanding in this multidisciplinary research environment.