Review of Integrated Flood Risk Management: Basic Concepts and Japanese Experience by Kuniyoshi Takeuchi

In his foreword of the book, Professor Shabbaz Khan writes that the survival and sustenance of a society is prominently linked with flood management, which is accomplished by the integration of engineering, technology, and social machinery. Specifically, this entails strengthening of structural measures, promotion of consensus and collaboration among stakeholders, education of the citizenry, timely warning and communication, evacuation measures, transportation, accommodation of evacuees with essential facilities, postflood preparedness, rehabilitation of evacuees, and building of a resilient society with a culture of preparedness for a looming disaster.

This book is an important contribution to the development of an integrated approach to flood risk management, which is essential for building sustainable cities. The subject matter of the book encompasses six chapters, supplemented with prologue and epilogue. Prior to the discussion of basic concepts of integrated flood risk management and Japanese experience, the prologue is presented, detailing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (IHP) establishment of UNESCO and Japanese participation, and UNESCO water centers. It gives a lot of useful information and a historical perspective on the UNESCO’s contribution to the development of hydrology and water resources. Chapter 1 argues that the root cause of disaster is the societal vulnerability, not nature, and people can and should avoid it. It goes on to discuss disaster management, which entails the integration of science, technology, governance, capacity building, and human empowerment, leading to disaster risk reduction.

Chapter 2 discusses basic concepts of disaster and disaster risk, following the United Nations’ (UN’s) leading principle of the contemporary disaster management policy. Discussion of disaster risk includes the structure of risk formation, measurement of risk, world disaster risk data bases, and at-risk models of risk management. The at-risk models described are pressure and release (PAR) and ACCESS. The PAR model deals with the structure of disaster risk, and the root causes and pressure dynamic behind unsafe conditions that result in the formation of risk in the society that faces hazards. The ACCESS model discusses disaster occurrence at the household level. The chapter is concluded with a narrative of the popular disaster management and a hydro-illogical cycle.

Chapter 3 is on the evolution of UN policies beginning with debates on environment and development, followed by disaster management. The discussion in the chapter encompasses policy development from Stockholm to Rio on environment and development, sustainable development proposed by World Committee on Environment and Management (WCED), followed by implementation efforts, millennium development goals (MDGs), and sustainable development goals (SDGs), evolution of disaster management policy from Yokohama to Sendai, role of Japan in establishing the WCED, hosting a series of world conferences on disaster reduction, framework for disaster risk reduction, setting of targets, and significance.

Chapter 4, the heart of the book, presents concepts of integrated flood risk management (IFRM), integrated disaster risk management (IDRM), as well as integrated water resources management (IWRM). IFRM is part of IDRM, and they both can arguably be considered as part of IWRM. Further, IFRM is indeed part of flood management. The chapter provides a historical context and discusses methodologies of all three types of management.

Chapter 5 describes Japanese experiences with IFRM and IWRM. Being situated in a hazardous area, Japan has long been dealing with flood-related disasters and has a wealth of experience. It summarizes her experience from the Edo era to World War II, the dark postwar period, the economic growth period, and the current period. The focus in Japan has been on the judicial structure supporting IFRM, basin-wise management, the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, recovery status, and other tsunami cases and tsunami culture.

Chapter 6 treats current challenges in Japan with respect to IFRM, which may include climate change, ageing society with depopulation, compact city approach, and social capital for mutual help. The chapter is concluded with a discussion of the transdisciplinary approach as a guiding principle for sustainable development.

The book is concluded with epilogue on narrating the story of a Japanese peasant saint Ninomiya Kinjito Sontoku (1787–1856), a disaster recovery manager, who saved about 600 devastated villages in the period of Tempo famine in the 1830s. His recovery method can serve as universal guide for disaster risk managers. Fundamental to his method is the hypothesis that human empowerment is only sure way for sustainable development.

This is an excellent book presenting a wealth of information on integrated flood risk management. It reflects the rich and vast experience of the author, which enriches the book by providing historical perspectives and Japanese experiences. The book will be extremely useful for those engaged in flood risk management.