Evaluation of a tsunami risk-reduction system for Kamakura, Japan

Abstract

Five years ago, the Great Eastern Japan tsunami devastated a large part of Tohoku area (Northeastern Japan), and since then, other coastal areas in Japan have feared the possibility of such a large tsunami. This challenge of reducing flood vulnerability of coastal areas due to tsunamis has been discussed with high importance amongst the government and the scientific community. Though Japan has different circumstances, it has a comparable history of water related hazards to the Netherlands, therefore, the risk-based approach could be valuable. In this MSc. thesis, the effectiveness of implementing a risk-reducing system, similar to what has been applied in the Netherlands, is checked in the case study of Kamakura, and this was also aimed to demonstrate that a flood risk assessment for tsunamis is possible.