Scope of DX and Advanced Services

This chapter discusses the current state of digital transformation (DX) in the field of slope disaster prevention and highlights advanced services utilizing data such as slope monitoring. In the first half, the discussion begins with an introduction to the data related to the causes and inducements of slope disasters, which is being developed by public agencies, along with its utilization status. Following that, the main laws related to sediment disaster management that have been established in Japan in response to significant recent disasters are explained, and the sediment disaster warning information that is currently distributed daily as one of the real-time disaster alert notifications based on these laws is described. Next, trends in DX related to smart cities being considered in various cities in Japan are introduced. This section also includes an overview of five noteworthy research studies relevant to slope disaster prevention. Furthermore, since the introduction and interest in DX vary among businesses, the examination status is outlined with a focus on road and railway businesses that manage important social infrastructure. As a summary of the first half, two advanced services likely to be realized by utilizing local slope monitoring records are presented, in addition to the services currently provided by public agencies in each field concerning rainfalls and earthquakes. In the second half, a case study is introduced that focuses on slopes in regions where a national highway and privately operated toll road run parallel, with slope monitoring being applied while engaging in dialogue with local stakeholders to facilitate discussions on slope disaster prevention. Although this is still an ongoing project, the approach of analysing local disaster records and accumulating fundamental data while conducting the examination is likely to serve as a valuable reference. Finally, a summary of this chapter is provided, along with a future outlook on the challenges presently identified in the field of slope disaster prevention concerning DX.