Hazard map for sediment-related disaster prevention

In general, a hazard map refers to a map describing the areas at risk of natural disasters, such as sediment-related disasters, floods, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions. On the other hand, hazard maps produced by municipal governments usually contain the following information in addition to the areas at risk of disasters: sketches of evacuation routes and shelters, evaluation of disaster possibility and frequency, a warning and evacuation system, and disaster-related basic information.

As the hazard maps for sediment-related disaster prevention, prefectural governments have distributed to local people (a) a map of sediment-related disaster dangerous spots at risk of debris flows, slope failures, and landslides and (b) a map of sediment-related disaster hazard areas that include possible flooding areas due to debris flows, etc. These maps have also been provided to municipal governments so that they can produce their own hazard maps by adding locations of shelters and evacuation routes for distribution to local people. As to the hazard maps for lava flows due to volcanic eruptions, mud flows due to snowmelt, etc., they have mainly been produced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and prefectural governments.

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Translated from Journal of Japan Sabo Association, Sabou to Chisui, Vol.167, p.92, 2005