This paper is the result of geological survey engineering.

Objective In light of the current lack of systematic review and prospective analysis of large-scale landslide research in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, this paper aims to comprehensively summarize the evolutionary trajectory and core advancements of landslide research in this region, identify key scientific issues and technical bottlenecks, and propose priority directions for future research.

Methods An innovative approach integrating macroscopic bibliometric mapping with in-depth traditional review is employed. Chinese and English literature published between 2003 and 2024 is systematically examined across five dimensions: geological setting, deformation mechanisms, monitoring and early warning, risk assessment, and mitigation measures.

Results Landslide development in the reservoir area is jointly controlled by tectonics, lithology, hydrology, and human activities. The deformation mechanism fundamentally involves the nonlinear coupling of three primary effects induced by reservoir water-level fluctuations: buoyancy-induced weight reduction, hydrodynamic pressure, and hydro-mechanical-chemical deterioration. Monitoring and early warning technologies are transitioning from “point-surface” integration toward “space-ai-ground-intelligence” systems. Machine learning is extensively applied in risk assessment, while mitigation measures increasingly emphasize engineering-ecology synergy. Nevertheless, current research confronts challenges including unclear multi-field coupling mechanisms, inadequate generalization capability of early warning models, and the absence of dynamic risk assessment systems

Conclusions Future efforts should concentrate on four major directions: multi-field coupled disaster mechanisms and extreme scenario simulation; intelligent early warning and decision-making systems based on digital twins; multi-scale dynamic risk assessment incorporating cascading disaster effects; and green, resilient mitigation technologies integrating engineering and ecological approaches. Establishing an integrated “monitoring-prediction-management” technical system will advance landslide disaster prevention in the reservoir area toward refinement, intelligence, and ecological sustainability.