The case study of Cancia (Dolomites, Italy), a mountain village threatened by a debris flow

The village of Cancia, close to Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italian Dolomites), has been many times hit by destructive debris flows that caused deaths among dwelling people and severe damage to houses and roads; the most recent of these disastrous events happened in July 2009 and caused the death of two people. This study considers the cases of the most calamitous past debris-flow events: the morphological settings of the initiation area are illustrated, along with an analysis of the processes that led to the formation of this dangerous phenomenon. In particular the critical interaction between geological and anthropic systems are examined showing the hazardous effects of the realization of a tourist development in the area. A critical review of the countermeasures so far proposed concludes the study.