Shaping Sustainable Urban Environments by Addressing the Hydro-Meteorological Factors in Landslide Occurrence: Ciuperca Hill (Oradea, Romania)

Abstract

Romania is one of the countries severely affected by numerous natural hazards, where landslides constitute a very common geomorphic hazard with strong economic and social impacts. The analyzed area, known as the “Ciuperca Hill”, is located in Oradea (NW part of Romania) and it has experienced a number of landsliding events in previous years, which have endangered anthropogenic systems. Our investigation, focused on the main causal factors, determined that landslide events have rather complex components, reflected in the joint climatological characteristics, properties of the geological substrate, and human activity that further contributed to the intensive change of landscape and acceleration of slope instability. Analysis of daily precipitation displays the occurrence and intensive distribution between May and September. Higher values of rainfall erosivity (observed for the 2014–2017 period), are occurring between April and August. Erosivity density follows this pattern and indicates high intensity events from April until October. SPI index reveals the greater presence of various wet classes during the investigated period. Geological substrate has been found to be highly susceptible to erosion and landsliding when climatological conditions are suitable. Accelerated urbanization and reduced vegetation cover intensified slope instability. The authors implemented adequate remote-sensing techniques in order to monitor and assess the temporal changes in landslide events at local level. Potential solutions for preventative actions are given in order to introduce and conduct qualitative mitigation strategies for shaping sustainable urban environments. Results from this study could have implications for mitigation strategies at national, regional, county, and municipality levels, providing knowledge for the enhancement of geohazard prevention and appropriate response plans.