Articles | Volume 26, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-2561-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-2561-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 03 Jun 2026
| 03 Jun 2026
Capturing the complete landslide–debris-rich flood continuum for accurate inventory, susceptibility and exposure mapping – lessons from Cyclone Idai
Antoine Dille
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Olivier Dewitte
Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Jente Broeckx
Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO), Mol, Belgium
Koen Verbist
UNESCO, Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, Paris, France
Andile Sindiso Dube
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Jean Poesen
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management, Maria-Curie Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
Matthias Vanmaercke
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Short summary
In mountain regions, intense rainfall can trigger thousands of landslides within hours. Yet, while most efforts focus on where landslides start, the worst impacts often occur far downstream because slope material can mix with large runoffs. Studying Cyclone Idai’s impacts in eastern Zimbabwe, we found that landslide sources explain only one-fifth of total population exposure, highlighting the need to consider the full landslide–flood continuum to better protect people and plan safer landscapes.
In mountain regions, intense rainfall can trigger thousands of landslides within hours. Yet,...
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