Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 10
A Method to Determine the Level 1 and
Level 2 Tsunami Inundation Areas
for Reconstruction in Eastern Japan
and Possible Application in Pre-disaster Areas
Abdul Muhari , Kentaro Imai , Daisuke Sugawara , and Fumihiko Imamura
Abstract
After the 2011 tsunami, a new approach to land use planning was
introduced and is starting to be applied in some areas of Japan. Depending on the
characteristics of the tsunami hazard, an area that is likely to be affected by high-
frequency but low-impact tsunamis is identifi ed as a 'Level 1' tsunami inundation
area. An area that is likely to be affected by low-frequency but high-impact tsunamis
is identifi ed as a 'Level 2' tsunami inundation area. The countermeasures adopted in
the two areas are different. The improved design of physical structures will be used
to minimize the medium-to-low impact of tsunamis on people and properties in
tsunami inundation Level 1 areas. Because the coverage of the fl ooded area is much
wider in tsunami inundation Level 2 areas, improvements to the evacuation facilities
and better education are the major efforts to save lives because man-made structures
may not be able to signifi cantly reduce the potential risks. This paper proposes a
method to distinguish the boundaries between tsunami inundation Level 1 and 2
areas. We fi rst use numerical simulations to establish a framework that classifi es
areas as Level 1 or Level 2 in a post-disaster area. Next, we examine the possibility
of applying similar techniques to a pre-disaster area. We demonstrate that distin-
guishing areas of tsunami inundation Level 1 and Level 2 is not only important for
the reconstruction of the post-disaster areas but also necessary to mitigate future
tsunamis in pre-disaster areas.
Keywords
Tsunami area Level 1 Tsunami area Level 2 Numerical simulation
GIS modeling
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