Japan leading the way in integrating flood prevention in urban development
"Japan is the global leader in integrating flood prevention in urban development, says Professor Chris Zevenbergen, Flood Resilience of Urban Systems of the Unesco-IHE institute in Delft (NL). At his invitation, the Edogowa ward will present several very innovative combinations at Aquaterra 2009. "Edogawa is situated on the Tokyo Bay and is often faced with extreme rainfall and typhoons, Zevenbergen explains. The ward is currently building super levees alongside the Edo river. This is a gradual process. As soon as a ward directly beyond the existing river levee is ready for renovation, it is torn down. Then the existing levee is widened and the ward is rebuilt on top.
According to Zevenbergen, building on top of the levees in this way is unique, as is the approach. "In this case, the super levee is not constructed in one go as an individual hydraulic project. Instead it is developed in phases as part of the wider urban development. Moreover, the value of the new houses is much higher as the residents have a wide view over the river and no longer look at the bottom of the levee.
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