WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR FLOOD RISK REDUCTION AND ITS DETERMINANTS IN JAPAN1

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to clarify public preferences for flood control measures in Japan, willingness to pay (WTP), and the main factors involved in WTP by applying the contingent valuation method. Findings showed that most residents surveyed expected some flood control measures, and revealed a diversity of interest in river management. WTP levels for different measures ranged from a mean of ¥2,887 to ¥4,861 and from a median of ¥1,000 to ¥2,000. However, WTP for additional flood risk reduction beyond initial levels was found to be zero. This was considered to be because WTP for flood risk reduction must be determined within a multi‐risk context. WTP for flood control measures may increase with per capita income, individual preparedness, and/or experience with flooding, but may decrease with distance from a river, acceptability of flood risk, and provision of environmental information. Furthermore, perception of flood risk may increase WTP, while perception of other risks may decrease it. Methods of dealing with environmental risk that were proposed in the survey may have affected WTP levels.     

MODELING FLOOD DAMAGE: CASE OF TOKAI FLOOD 20001

ABSTRACT: In conventional flood damage reduction studies, flood damage is usually estimated with a damage function according to the depth of inundation. However, this method may not reflect the conditions of each family residing in the floodplain because it ignores not only the distribution of flood damage but also the effect of building characteristics and residents' preparedness. This paper uses data from a questionnaire based survey (N= 3,036) conducted 17 months after the Tokai Flood of 2000 that caused disastrous losses to household properties. It provides a conceptual “doughnut structure” model of flood damage to houses and house contents and a mathematical basis for models to explore the determinants of flood damage. Besides the inundation depth, house type significantly affects both the house structural and content damage probabilities, while house ownership and house structure affect house damage probability but not house content damage probability at a given depth. Inundation depth, residing period, and household income significantly affect both house and content damage values. In addition, house ownership has a significant impact on the house damage value, while house structure has an impact on content damage value.     

Atmospheric mercury over the marine boundary layer observed during the third China Arctic Research Expedition

TGM measurements on board ships have proved to provide valuable complementary information to measurements by a ground based monitoring network. During the third China Arctic Research Expedition (from July 11 to September 24, 2008), TGM concentrations over the marine boundary layer along the cruise path were in-situ measured using an automatic mercury vapor analyzer. Here we firstly reported the results in Japan Sea, North Western Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, where there are rare reports. The value ranged between 0.30 and 6.02 ng/m³ with an average of (1.52 ± 0.68) ng/m³, being slightly lower than the background value of Northern Hemisphere (1.7 ng/m³). Notably TGM showed considerably spatial and temporal variation. Geographically, the average value of TGM in Bering Sea was higher than those observed in Japan Sea and North Western Pacific Ocean. In the north of Japan Sea TGM levels were found to be lower than 0.5 ng/m³ during forward cruise and displayed obviously diurnal cycle, indicating potential oxidation of gaseous mercury in the atmosphere. The pronounced episode was recorded as well. Enhanced levels of TGM were observed in the coastal regions of southern Japan Sea during backward cruise due primarily to air masses transported from the adjacent mainland reflecting the contribution from anthropogenic sources. When ship returned back and passed through Kamchatka Peninsula TGM increased by the potential contamination from volcano emissions.     

Rapid Evolution in the Wild: Changes in Body Size, Life-History Traits, and Behavior in Hunted Populations of the Japanese Mamushi Snake

Abstract:  Rapid evolution caused by human exploitation of wildlife is not usually addressed in studies of the impacts of such exploitation despite its direct relevance to population persistence. Japanese mamushi ( Gloydius blomhoffii ), an endemic venomous snake of the Japanese archipelago, has been heavily hunted by humans, and many populations appear to be declining or are already extirpated. We compared local populations that have been hunted regularly with populations that have not been hunted. Mamushi in hunted populations were smaller, had fewer vertebrae, produced more and smaller offspring, had increased reproductive effort among smaller females, and in nature fled at greater distances from an approaching human and were less defensive than mamushi in unhunted populations, as predicted from life-history theory. Heritability estimates for body size, number of vertebrae, and antipredator behavior were statistically significant, and neonates from hunted sites showed the same distribution of altered characters (compared with those from unhunted sites) as adults. Thus, distribution of the divergent trait between hunted and unhunted sites appeared in part to be genetically based, which suggests rapid evolution to human predation pressures. Trait distributions in hunted populations probably deviate from naturally (as opposed to anthropogenically) selected optima and, therefore, may have long-term negative repercussions on population persistence. Because rapid evolution affects a suite of parameters that characterize exploited populations, accurate understanding of the impacts of exploitation and effective resource management and conservation can only be achieved if evolutionary consequences are considered explicitly.     

A study on marine industry and environment of China: regarding Japan’s experience

China is facing the challenge of many marine environment problems with rapid economic growth. Japan had experienced similar marine environmental pressure during its industrialization and had been facing the problem through successful environment policy step by step. The paper reviews the lessons and experiences of Japan’s marine environment protection and analyzes the marine environment pollution in China and its causes, taking Shandong province as a case, such as GDP-oriented economic growth, heavy coal assumption, etc. The paper also analyzes the marine industry with focuses on coastal tourism and its relationship with marine environment. Suggestions on polices are provided based on the analysis on China’ marine environment and Japan’s experience.     

日本海底地震观测现状与进展

详细介绍了日本在本世纪70 年代～90 年代初的三个海底地震仪观测系统,和日本政府在1995 年阪神大震后投巨资兴建海底地震监测网络的情况。并就上述内容的国际研究现状,提出了存在问题和未来海洋地震观测研究的设想     

日本地下水环境质量标准及监测方法

在大量查阅日本法律法规、质量报告书和专题报告书的基础上,论述了日本地下水质量标准构成及监测方法.     

柳州以酸雨治理促城市生态转型--柳州市以环保促经济升级城市转型服务民生的示范作用

柳州市这个“十雨九酸”的工业城市在经济升级、城市转型的过程中,完美实现了向“生态宜居”城市的战略转变。1994年国家有关部门把柳州市酸雨治理列为第四批日本海外经济协力基金贷款项目。这一项目开启城市环境治理新纪元,带动柳州经济发展方式的转变,促进柳州从“污染城市”到“创建环保模范城市”的跨越,“贷”动了柳州是从政府部门环保对策、城市环保质量到公众环保意识的全面提升,助力酸雨柳州的生态转变,在西部地区经济与环境协调发展和促进资源节约型和环境友好型工业城市发展方面具有重要的示范作用。     

日本地下水污染防治经验及其启示

日本持续开展了20多年的地下水污染调查评估工作,在地下水污染防治领域已属于国际领先水平。通过总结日本在地下水污染防治相关法律法规体系构建、地下水环境调查评估、地下水污染修复技术研究、地下水污染整治资金筹措等方面的先进经验,提出了我国在地下水环境保护方面的相关对策和建议。     

日本大气污染和控制技术研究进展

本文详细地介绍了日本大气污染现状及其趋势,对主要污染物的污染状况进行了分析。概述了日本几十年来大气污染防治技术研究的进展。对改善燃烧、电子束法、NO_x处理触媒研究、NO_x吸附剂的研究、活性炭法干式脱硫、利用煤炭的干式脱硫、半干式简易脱硫、静电的应用、微生物的应用、电除尘、过滤除尘等大气污染防治技术的研究,做了详细介绍。对目前人们普遍关心的含氟气体排放控制问题进行了探讨。还简要介绍了日本大阪府等地,准备偿试的汽车排气总量控制的研究状况。