Major Landslide Map Upgrade Offers Better Data For Safer Land Use

A major upgrade to New Zealand’s national landslide database is set to improve how communities, planners, and emergency managers understand and manage landslide risks.

Earth Sciences New Zealand has significantly expanded the New Zealand Landslide Database (NZLD), increasing the number of mapped landslides from 23,000 to around 100,000 – with hundreds of thousands to be added over the next year.

The enhanced NZLD is available through a publicly accessible interactive webmap, allowing users to explore previously mapped landslides, largely those triggered by major rainfall and earthquake events.

The upgraded database includes more consistent and detailed attributes – such as triggering events, landslide size, and damage – providing users with unprecedented access to high-quality data on landslide hazards to support safer land-use decisions.

Why landslide data matters

Understanding where and when landslides have occurred helps forecast where they may happen in the future. With climate change increasing the frequency of rain-induced landslides – and the ongoing risk of earthquake-triggered events – robust data is essential for building resilient communities and infrastructure.

The NZLD supports a wide range of users, from curious individuals to technical experts, in activities such as:

• Planning new developments
• Protecting critical assets
• Conducting risk assessments
• Emergency management planning

Landslide hazard and risk models built on this data can identify areas at risk, guide further investigations, and forecast rainfall or earthquake-induced landslide impacts on existing or future developments. This helps reduce long-term costs by enabling smarter investment in infrastructure and climate adaptation.

What’s new in the database

Earth Sciences NZ has compiled thousands of landslides from events like Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake into the upgraded NZLD. The initial release includes more than 100,000 landslides, with many more to be added over the next year.

Key features of the upgrade include:

• A visually interactive publicly accessible webmap.
• Advanced features with free registration, including landslide source areas, debris trails, table views, and powerful query tools.
• Where available, landslide entries include type, trigger, event, size, and a quality ranking.

Note:

• It’s important to note that the database doesn’t include every landslide that’s ever occurred in New Zealand. Areas without mapped landslides may still be at risk of landslides and require further investigation.

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