FONDEF IVO FUSTOS | Lab Medios FICA #UFRO

RILEWS: Landslide Forecasting in South-Central Chile

Extreme rainfall events in southern Chile have increased by more than 25% over the past two decades, raising the risk of rain-triggered landslides.

Geophysicist and academic Ivo Fustos is developing RILEWS, a FONDEF project at the University of La Frontera (UFRO). The platform aims to forecast and provide warnings of landslides in south-central Chile.

Approach and Goals

RILEWS combines meteorological data with geotechnical models and machine-learning methods to predict mass movements. The system is intended to identify potential events up to 120 hours in advance.

The project aims to provide scientifically based alerts, shorten response times, improve emergency decision-making, and strengthen the technical capabilities of disaster-response institutions.

Researchers and Institutions

• Ivo Fustos — Geophysicist and academic leading the project.
• University of La Frontera (UFRO) — Project development site.
• FONDEF — Funding and project framework.
• SENAPRED, DMC (meteorological service), and SERNAGEOMIN (Geological and Mining Service) — Institutions the platform is intended to support.