Objectives  Due to the impact of unfavorable geological conditions and periodic water level fluctuations, the stabilities of the bank slopes in the Three Gorges area have always been concerned.

  Methods  111 Sentinel-1 images covering the Shuping landslide and its surrounding area from March 2016 to March 2020 are obtained. Time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis method combing point-like targets and distributed scatters employed to obtain the slope displacement of our study area.

  Results  We identified 7 active slopes with a maximum displacement rate of 70 mm/a. Our InSAR results were validated by comparing measurements with two GPS stations installed on the Shuping landslide from 2016 to 2018. Time-series analysis indicated water level variations and concentrated rainfall are the main impact factors of slopes. Our study indicated landslide control projects will significantly decrease the slope displacement rates of landslides. The maximum displacement rate of the Shuping landslide decreased 70 mm/a after the cutting slope in 2014—2015. The displacement rates of the Sanmendong and the Zhoujiapo landslides also reduced from 0.8 mm/d to 0.2 mm/d due to the revetment works from 2018 to 2019. At the meantime, displacement in Xiongjialing Village induced by anthropogenic activities such as road construction and vegetation cultivation need to be monitored closely in case of developing into safety threats.

  Conclusions  Our results indicate that the time-series InSAR technology can effectively identify and monitor active slopes and provide technical support for geological hazard risk mapping and disaster prevention and mitigation.