I am geomorphologist who obtained Master degree in Education of Biology, Geography and Geology (Palacký Unviersity Olomouc, 2000) and during my doctoral studies at the Charles University Prague I focused on research of the spatial landslide distribution (2007). Since 2001 I work at the Czech Academy of Sciences and since 2019 I also teach at the University of Ostrava.
My research addresses factors and conditions leading to the occurrence of different landslide types in high-mountain periglacial environments or complex geological conditions e.g. in the Czech Republic. My recent research reflects the fact that landslides are social as much as natural phenomena and people need to deal with them at the places where they live. Therefore I am trying to understand how the communities faced the landslide hazard in the past to find the best ways how they can mitigate their hazard in the future, which will be largely shaped with ongoing climatic change.
More than 10 years of research at the Llacta of Machu Picchu in Peru provided me with great lessons of human co-existence with landslides. The Inca builders placed the mysterious city on very safe place – high above valley bottom where recent towns and villages struggle with debris flows and floods and largely away from steep cliffs where rockfalls often occur. At the same time, the foundations of the city hidden below its terraces and squares stabilized the steep rock slopes and fragile equilibrium was established. But without continuous maintenance and careful evaluations of changes in the interactions between slope and Inca constructions, the equilibrium could be lost. But I know that the Peruvian experts managing the site will not allow this to happen.
- Klimeš, J.; Hussain, Y.; Mreyen, A.-S.; Cauchie, L.; Schlögel, R.; Piroton, V.; Petružálek, M.; Blahůt, J.; René, M.; Meletlidis, S.; Havenith, H.-B. (2023) New Insights into the Internal Structures and Geotechnical Rock Properties of the Giant San Andrés Landslide, El Hierro Island, Spain. Remote Sens., 15, 1627. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15061627
- Pavel Raška, Jiři Riezner, Michal Bil, Jan Klimeš (2023) Long-term landslide impacts and adaptive responses in rural communities: Using historical cases to validate the cumulative causation approach. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 93, 103748
- Klimeš, J. (2024). Landslides in the Cordillera Blanca. In: Vilímek, V., Mark, B., Emmer, A. (eds) Geoenvironmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-58245-5_8
- Novotný, J., Klimeš, J. (2024). Stability of Moraine and Rock Slopes at Glacial Lakes—Two Case Studies in the Cordillera Blanca. In: Vilímek, V., Mark, B., Emmer, A. (eds) Geoenvironmental Changes in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-58245-5_9
- Šilhán, K., Fabiánová, A., Klimeš, J., Tábořík, P., Hartvich, F., Blahůt, J. (2024) The effect of tree growth disturbances inertia on dendrogeomorphic spatio-temporal analysis of landslides: A case study. Catena, 235:107678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107678
- Klimeš, J., Novotný, J., Balek, J., Rosario, A.M., Torres, J.C., Vargas, R., López, D., Obispo, Y., Roldán-Minaya, E., Caballero, A., Jara, H., Villafane, H., Melgarejo, E. (2024) Landslide hazard assessment and risk reduction in the rural community of Rampac Grande, Cordillera Negra, Peru. Environmental Earth Sciences. 83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11307-1
- Klimeš, J., Hartvich, F., Šilhán, K. (2024) Long-term movement activity and internal structure of deep-seated landslide by using dendrochronology analysis and electric resistivity tomography in flysch rocks, Carpathians, Czech Republic. Landslides,21: 2945–2957. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02330-9
- Klimeš, J., Kilnar, J., Kopačková-Strnadová, V., Pánek, T., McColl, S., Jelének, J. (2025) Landslides in the glaciated mountains of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru—types, spatial distribution, and conditioning factors. Landslides 22, 803–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02387-6
- Klimeš, J., Emmer, A. (2024). Comments on Landslide Occurrence under Changing Climate in Earthquake-prone Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Revista de Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montaña, 9
- Vargas, R., Klimeš, J., Torres, J.C., Jara, H., Rosario, A.M., Melgarejo, E. (2024). Susceptibility Analysis for Mass Movements, in a Participatory Framework in the Town of Rampac Grande and Hornuyoc, Carhuaz, Ancash. Revista de Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montaña, 9, 7-24
- Klimeš, J., Šilhán, K. (2026) Possible use of tree-growth disturbances to record landslide movements as a complement to conventional monitoring techniques and remotely sensed data analysis in forested areas. Landslides, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-026-02770-5
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Klimeš, J., Dong, JJ. & Chang, CP. Strengthening regional capacity in landslide risk reduction: 2025 advanced institute on landslide risks in Northern Mainland Southeast Asia. Landslides 23, 293–295 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-025-02652-2
RIV (Register of results information)
Link to ResearchGate
Link to ASEP database
University lectures:
2013 - Collaborationg on teaching of the undergraduate course “Natural hazards and risks”, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
2019 - Teaching of the undergraduate course “Citizen Science”, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
Invited lectures:
2019 – International Conference: "LAS MONTAÑAS: NUESTRO FUTURO", Cuzco, Peru, organized by INAIGEM, talk title: „Slope stability in high mountains during glacier retreat – examples from Cordillera Blanca, Perú”.
2018 - National conference: Aporte Hídrico de los Glaciares, Huaráz, Peru, organized by UNASAM and ANA, talk title: “Slope deformations around the Safuna Alta and Baja Lakes, Peru.”
Supervisor (bachelor theses):
Tereza Podpinková (University of Ostrava, 2016 – 2017)
Supervisor (master theses):
Bc. Tereza Podpinková (University of Ostrava, 2017 – 2019)
Consultant (master theses):
Mgr. Jan Hořčík (University of J.E.Purkyne, 2011 – 2012)
Mgr. Radek Cáb (Charles University, 2007 – 2008)
Supervisor (Ph.D. theses):
Mariana Gonzales, National University of Córdoba, Argentina (“Análisis del rompimiento de diques naturales en los Andes Centrales: dinámica de los GLOFs”)
Consultant (Ph.D. theses):
Saeideh Gharehchahi, Member of the Dissertation (Ph.D.) Committee, Texas State University, USA (Thesis topic: “Climate change impacts on glacier hazard”)
Mgr. Jan Burda (2012): Dynamics and spatial extension of recent landslides at the foot of Krušné Hory Mts., Doktoral thesis, Charels University, Czech Republic
Chairman of the Czech Association of Geomorphologists
Member of the Evaluation Committee of the Czech Grant Agency
Member of the Board of Representatives International Consortium on Landslides
Member of the International Association for Engineering Geology
Member of the Scientific Standing Groupd of Glacier and Permafrost Hazards in Mountains
Member of Editorial board of the Geoenvironmental Disasters and Landslides journals
Member of the Examination Board for State Examinations and Commission for Theses Defense in the Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Study Programms of Physical geography, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
