Development of a Slope Monitoring System with Resident Participation

This chapter describes the installation of a slope monitoring system involving residents’ participation, along with a case study in Japan. First, it outlines the preparatory steps required before monitoring begins, including conducting a field survey and holding a workshop to help residents understand slope failure mechanisms and learn how to operate IoT tilt sensors, in which IoT means “Internet of Things” that is a network of interrelated devices connecting and exchanging data with other IoT devices and the cloud. It is also essential to discuss with residents and local officials about the sensor installation sites, evacuation timing and evacuation destinations. Second, the case study demonstrates that such a system can effectively serve as an “evacuation switch”, supporting evacuation decisions during slope disasters and the assessment of potential hazardous slopes. Furthermore, it emphasizes that continuous monitoring over several years is vital for understanding slope activity and behaviour, and for adjusting sensor sensitivity when necessary to refine the threshold for issuing appropriate warning alerts.