In the Mediterranean region, ground effects related to intense rain events often involve terraced slopes that, in some situations, are directly sourced areas of debris/mud flow.
Starting from the 1950s, the changing socio-economic conditions caused the abandonment of large portions of rural areas. Nowadays, at the catchment scale, it is frequently difficult recognizing stone wall terraces because of their abandonment and the uncontrolled re-vegetation. This research faces the issue of identifying terraces in the Monte di Portofino promontory, RECONECT Demonstrator A.
A remote sensing application, with LIDAR data and orthophotography, identified terraces on the Portofino promontory. Mapping of terraced area, including in use and in abandonment information, is crucial to perform a spatial relationship analysis that includes hazard-exposed elements and to evaluate the possible connectivity factor of buildings, infrastructures, tourism facilities and Cultural Heritage within the hydrographical network. This also with the aim to design risk mitigation measures such as NBS.
[Paliaga, G.; Luino, F.; Turconi, L.; De Graff, J.V.; Faccini, F. Terraced Landscapes on Portofino Promontory (Italy): Identification, Geo-Hydrological Hazard and Management. Water 2020, 12, 435; Paper available at https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/2/435]