Attitudes of residents in the Tokyo Bay area toward flood hazards

Abstract

There have been many recent reports of flood disasters from around the world. Many countries attempt to prepare for disaster situations, but one difficulty that exists in terms of preparing for flooding is that despite the level of flood hazard that may exist, many people living within river basins are unable to leave their homes or seek to return to their homes as soon as the immediate danger has passed. We distributed a questionnaire concerning flood hazards to residents within the basin of the Arakawa River in the old-town area of Tokyo, Japan. The Arakawa River, which drains into Tokyo Bay, was planned in 1911 with the aim of protecting the citizens of Tokyo from flooding; it was completed in 1930. All local residents are assigned a specified evacuation area by the local administrative body. The questionnaire was given to a random sample of about 1000 people living along the Arakawa River. The obtained answers make it clear that many people living along the river are unaware of their designated evacuation area in the case of flooding. This is an issue that must be dealt with by administrative guidance and efforts on the part of the residents. Consequently, the local administrative body must ensure that residents are well informed in terms of hydrological information and the locations of areas that provide refuge from flooding.