Analysis of Nationwide Steep Slope Survey Results for the Proposal of Improvement Measures in Korea

The risk and damage caused by steep slope collapses within the Korean Peninsula are increasing because of abnormal weather patterns resulting from climate change. Consequently, there is a growing need for proactive disaster management, leading to the registration and management of steep slopes prone to collapse within the jurisdiction through nationwide surveys. The necessity for domestic steep slope management has recently become apparent although the management system has some issues in establishing and refining it to reflect reality. In this study, the appropriateness of the results obtained from the 2022 nationwide survey of steep slope areas was evaluated utilizing the characteristics of steep slopes (types, structures, heights, lengths, slopes, and landowners.), disaster risk (disaster risk grades and risk factors), and risk mitigation measures (structural and nonstructural), to propose improvement measures. Through this, we identified problems with the methodology for selecting target areas, funding for steep slope management, impact assessment of disasters, and results of reviewing non-structural measures, thereby proposing improvements in the management of privately owned steep-slope areas. By improving the survey system, which is an essential element for responding to steep slope disasters, to reflect reality, the costs of damage and recovery caused by steep-slope collapses are expected to significantly decrease.