Scanning airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) has gained considerable acceptance in both scientific and commercial communities as a tool for topographic measurement, becoming an industry‐standard tool for collecting high‐resolution topographic data. Once processed, the laser scan data consist of a series of values of coordinates of points at which the laser beam has been reflected. In addition to the coordinates for every single reflection, the backscattering amplitude is also recorded. We describe a methodology to achieve an accurate radiometric calibration of the laser amplitude data so as to generate pseudo‐reflectance maps of the surface illuminated by the laser. The pseudo‐reflectance maps have then been used to classify the target illuminated by the laser. The method can be considered as a potential aid to enhance the accuracy of laser data classification.

In recent years, SAR interferometry has become one of the most popular emerging techniques for the assessment of ground displacements, and, as such, it is of great interest as a possible operational tool for civil protection institutions having to deal with landslide risk. The paper presents some of the results obtained in northern Italy during a research project aimed at testing the potentiality of the application of C‐band space‐borne interferometry and Ku‐band ground based interferometry during different specific civil protection activities. Main research objectives were the detection of the movements of complex earth and rock slides affecting built‐up areas during the 1990s, and the near real‐time monitoring of a reactivated rotational earth slide over an emergency period of 15 days. Results of space‐borne interferometry did qualitatively fit with the geological interpretation of the mass movements and with ground truths such as damaged buildings and in situ monitoring systems. However, this was not achieved in quantitative terms, suggesting that this technique should be used limitedly for displacement recognition and not monitoring. On the other hand, ground‐based interferometry proved valuable both for a qualitative and a quantitative estimate of slope movements. Nonetheless, the research has also enabled the limitations that are still to be tackled in order to bring these systems to an operational usage in civil protection to be highlighted.