Flood risk acceptability and economic value of evacuation.

The economic value of evacuation and its relationship with flood risk acceptability in Japan were studied by applying the contingent valuation method (CVM). Flood risk acceptability here refers to the extent to which people accept the occurrence of floods, in terms of scale and frequency. The economic value of evacuation refers to people's willingness to pay (WTP) for avoiding evacuation inconvenience because of its inconvenience and the potential for certain losses as a result of evacuation. Our main finding was that over half of the people (56%) who actually evacuated in a real flood situation reported inconvenience. The greatest inconveniences were the shortages of information and food. Evacuation inconvenience can be regarded as an important factor causing the low rate of evacuation in Japan. The WTP for avoiding current inconvenience was approximately half of the estimated economic value of evacuation, implying that the current budget for evacuation is too small and should be increased to improve the conditions of evacuation sites. The economic value of evacuation can be taken into consideration in the risk assessment process in order to evaluate the efficiency of risk reduction measures. Flood risk acceptability and home ownership are two major statistically significantly determinants of the WTP. Considering that those who accept flood risk have a lower WTP for flood risk control (ex ante measures) than those who reject it, it is reasonable to think that there may be a tradeoff between the public WTPs for ex ante or ex post measures.

[Factor determining satisfaction with policies regarding disaster wastes: flooded areas of cities].

This study examines the factors that determine satisfaction with the policies regarding disaster wastes, focusing specifically on the case of flood. A survey was conducted of residents in previously flooded areas of Sanjyo, Fukui, and Toyooka. The respondents rated the extent to which the affected administration explained things to them, listened to their opinions, damage from the flood, and problems with disaster wastes. The results showed that the perception of the distance from home to the garbage station determined the satisfaction with the policies regarding disaster wastes among the respondents who had less disaster wastes. On the other hand, the perception of listening to their opinions determined satisfaction with the policies among the respondents who had a lot of waste. The findings suggest that the determinant factors are different depending upon the situational factors.

Inter-zonal tradable discharge permit system to control water pollution in Tianjin, China.

In recent years, Chinese environmental authorities have expressed interest in the use of Tradable Discharge Permits (TDP) as a regulatory instrument to control pollutant emissions. Environmental professionals still have not had enough experience, however, in designing and managing TDP systems, especially for non-uniformly dispersed pollutants. As an empirical study, this paper proposes an interzonal TDP system and analyzes its effectiveness in cost savings and environmental protection for reducing water pollutant COD (chemical oxygen demand) in Tianjin, China. Zonal permit system (ZPS) and emission permit system (EPS) are discussed for comparison. The inter-zonal TDP system is demonstrated to improve cost efficiency by allowing permit trades between zones, as long as water quality constraints are satisfied. The transactions are assumed to proceed in a multilateral sequential way and are simulated with a circularly running linear programming (LP) model. The simulation of permit transactions among 20 firms shows that to reach the same COD removal target, ZPS, interzonal TDP system, and EPS lowered the total reduction cost by 12.8%, 14.6%, and 15.8%, respectively. EPS, however, brought about "hot spots" problem. Finally, the transaction costs and the sensitivity of the three TDP systems to changes in both COD reduction rate and the initial permit allocation are discussed, and policy implications are addressed.

[Determinant factors of community-based disaster preparedness: a case study of flood prone area].

This study examined the determinants of willingness to participate in a community-based disaster preparedness scheme. The theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1977, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) was applied as a basic model and was complemented by the factor of concern about disaster. A structural equation modeling was performed to validate this model. The hypothetical model was supported for the data from the residents (N = 3 036) of an area with a high risk of flood damage. It was clarified that the subjective norm and concern about flood positively contributed to the intention of participating in a community-based disaster preparedness scheme. The perceived cost of preparedness was the inhibitory factor of participating in such a scheme.

Dynamic efficiency analysis of flood prevention investment in Japan

In Japan, the need for investment in public works, including flood disaster prevention facilities, such as dykes and dams, is widely discussed at present. This paper aims to evaluate the comprehesive efficiency of flood disaster prevention investment from 1955 to 1999 by developing and applyng an evaluation model that focuses specifically on relative success in the prevention of human and economic losses. Results of our analysis have carified some important issues currently being discussed in Japan. Firstly, a one-way-layout analysis of variance shows there to be a statistically significant diffenrence only between the period of 1955-1961 and those of 1962-1967, 1968-1983 and 1984-1999. The average values of normalized flood losses decreased greatly between the 1955-1961 period an the 1984-1999 period. Secondly, the ratio of human loss to total loss caused by floods in Japan may be less than 10

. This ratio showed an increasing trend before 1970 and then stabilized at around 8

after 1970. The proportion of intangible effect to total loss increasedfrom less than 10

before the 1970s to aproximately 20

after that period. Finally, flood prevention investment in Japan effectively reduced losses caused by flooding before the 1960s; however, since the 1980s, investment has changed from an efficient mode, not only from the economic standpoint, but also fom thet of total flood loss saving. We conclude that is necessary to explore the usefulness of the new investments and to develop improved strategies for flood disaster prevention from a risk management viewpoint

Ecological and ecomomic vulnerability of the marginal sea to the global climate change - a comparative analysis of regional environmental risks in the Japan sea Rim

In this paper, we will present the results of a comparative analysis on societal reponses to the degradation of environmental quality caused by global climate change and the globalization of regional economies in the area of the Japan Sea Rim. First, we will address both the ecological and socio-economic vulnerability in terms of resource management in this area. The interactions between the economy and environment are measured through an environmental accounting system, focusing on pollution loads from land-based sources. Then, we will discuss societal responses to environmental risks in these marginal coastal areas taking into account the experiences of the mediterranean sea and the Baltic Sea (AU)