A review and prospects of debris flow waste-shoal land use in typical debris flow areas, China

•As a special land resource, the key role of DFWSL is emphasized in debris flow areas.•Expounds its development process, and discusses three main problems existing in the exploitation and utilization at present.•The primary problem of DFWSL use is the threat of debris flow.•Considering the debris flow risk, put forward the internal and external layout scheme. The shortage of land resources is one of the most pressing policy challenges faced by China, where many attempts have been made to increase the quantity and quality of land available for human use while protecting the environment. In the regard, the use of debris flow waste-shoal land (DFWSL) has achieved success. Although DFWSL is being developed and used, it has not yet received sufficient attention, and many challenges remain in the process of utilization. In order to improve awareness regarding DFWSL use and identify the opportunities and challenges, we evaluated the current policies and practices guiding the use and management of DFWSL in China using a combination of literature review and field studies. The results show that DFWSL development in China can be classified into three main stages: initial (risk assessment), development (analysis of soil properties and production potential), and mature (efficient and safe use). Ongoing research has placed increasing attention on the coordinated development of economic and ecological security, but some problems remain. First, the geomorphic nature of DFWSL is not always clearly recognized, leading to utilization that does not follow best practices. Second, the current theoretical system for development is insufficient, presenting barriers to scientifically informed and rational utilization. Third, there is a lack of clear and comprehensive policy guidance from the government. Therefore, we propose a new conceptual framework for DFWSL development that emphasizes a landscape-friendly trajectory that balances economic development and security. We expect this study to increase the focus on development in mountainous regions of China and encourage further investigation of the marginal land use potential in ecologically fragile areas where debris flows frequently occur.