Progress of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL) – Objectives of the IPL and the World Landslide Forum

The First World Landslide Forum is organized on 18–21 November 2008 at the United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan. Landslides are known to cause significant disasters every year over many parts of the world. The risk reduction of disastrous landslides is essential for the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 “Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters” which was adopted during the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) held in Kobe, Japan in 2005.

The International Consortium on Landslides (ICL), United Nations Organizations, Governments and Non-government organizations collaborated to organize a global cross-cutting and cooperative platform for the 2006 Tokyo Action Plan. As a basis of joint discussion for the development of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL) during and after the 2008 World Landslide Forum, the process from the 2002 establishment of ICL to the organization of 2008 WLF and their concepts are presented herein.