Development of Landslide Risk Maps in the Rif Mountains of Morocco

The Central Rif region in Morocco, from Al Jebha to Al Hoceïma, has a rich history of landslides causing significant disruptions. The recent violent earthquake of Al-Hoceïma in 2003 led to a large land movement that caused the temporary closure of Regional Road N° 610 near Kassita. Besides, winter episodes with extreme rainfall, such as the record 136 mm in March 2020 near the El Jebha town, also caused an exorbitant slope sliding that interrupted traffic on National Road N° 16. These two examples of slope sliding, among others, demonstrate the interest in understanding and managing landslide risks in this region and constitute the background of the research. Thus, the purpose of this research is to identify the most vulnerable areas to landslides in the Al Jebha and Al Hoceïma regions to support their development. To conduct this study, we followed a methodology based on the inventory of dominant soils and rock formations with their geotechnical characteristics. Then, we proceeded with the presentation of their spatial distribution in geotechnical maps, constituting the first results.