RNDr. Jan Klimeš, Ph.D.

Department of Engineering Geology

E-mail: klimes@irsm.cas.cz | jklimes@centrum.cz
Phone: +420266009330

Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics of the CAS, v.v.i.
V Holešovičkách 41
182 09, Prague 8
Czech Republic

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About Me

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.