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Based on solid evidence, scientists attribute the global warming trend observed since the mid-twentieth century to the human expansion of the “greenhouse effect.” Extreme rainfall events have become more frequent worldwide, resulting in hydro-meteorological hazards creating more deaths and devastation. One of the most remarkable disasters of rain-induced rapid long-traveling landslides (RRLL) in Sri Lanka took place at Aranayake, 70 km east of Colombo, in 2016 (JICA Survey Team (2016), Survey results of Aranayake Disaster, JICA. URL: https://www.jica.go.jp/srilanka/english/office/topics/c8h0vm00006ufwhl-att/160720.pdf [Last accessed: April 14, 2020]). The fluidized landslide mass ran over an about 2 km distance claiming the lives of 125 people. This tragic event highlighted the importance of reliable early warning and disaster management mechanisms even more than ever because the presence of these hidden unstable soil masses, as well as their run-out distances, are hardly predicted. Once they start sliding, it is almost impossible to stop them. Since 2020 (after the preceding period of 2019), both the National Building Research Organization, Sri Lanka (NBRO) and the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) have jointly started a new 5-year research project, “Development of early warning technology of Rain-induced Rapid and Long-travelling Landslides (Project RRLL),” within the framework of SATREPS. SATREPS, standing for “Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development,” is a Japanese government program promoting international joint research. This article reports on the outline of the project, including its background, goals, plans of plots for developing critical technologies for the early warning system, etc.

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