From hazard mapping to risk governance: 20-year trajectory of land use/cover change impacts on landslide susceptibility via multi-modal scientometrics

Global land use/cover change (LUCC) critically governs landslide risk through altered surface material dynamics. Despite increasing research focus on this issue, systematic mapping of LUCC-landslide interdependencies and their cascading impacts remains lacking. Our analysis of 102 studies (2002–2024) from Web of Science, Scopus, and Engineering Village outlines three developmental stages in this field: (1) empirical correlation studies (2002–2010), (2) process-based modeling (2011–2018), and (3) risk scenario projections (2019–2024). Key findings establish forest cover transitions and urban expansion as primary susceptibility drivers, whereas other LUCC impacts exhibit context-dependence on land conversion trajectories. Our synthesis highlights four critical research gaps. (1) Mechanistic cognitive gap: over 80% of studies are overly focused on model optimization and neglect physical process elucidation. (2) Geospatial bias: Approximately 80% of studies concentrated in Asia, and less than 5% in high-risk Oceania/South America. (3) Temporal ambiguity: Ambiguity in temporal effects of LUCC interventions (e.g., temporal fluctuations in landslide suppression post-afforestation). (4) Neglected synergistic mechanisms: Inadequate understanding of synergistic mechanisms between LUCC transition chains and natural factors (geological and climatic). This paper proposes a targeted solution to address these limitations and advance the field. Furthermore, a sustainable land management framework is developed, integrating resilience enhancement, risk governance, human-land relationship optimization, and dynamic risk response mechanisms.