Modeling levee system transformation with human-flood interaction in the Kiso River basin, Japan

The form of the levee system defines the dynamics of human-water interaction on the floodplain: societies with indigenous levee system, such as ring levees and discontinuous levees, are more likely to adapt to flooding, while those relying on modern continuous levees fight against floods. However, those societies are not binary, and in some regions, such as flood-prone areas in Asia, one society has changed from an adapting society to a fighting society along with the levee system transformation (Nakamura et al., 2023). Previous coupled human-flood system models have assumed a fixed society of one or the other. In this study, the coupled human-flood system model was improved to simulate the levee system transformation and the associated changes in the dynamics of human-flood interaction. The improved model was applied to the Kiso River basin in Japan, where levee system transformation has been observed over the past century. The time series results reproduced the process of levee system transformation and human-flood interactions, and the regime shift from an adapting society to a fighting society. This study shows that the improved model has a potential to support the implementation of flood management and governance that integrates indigenous and modern technologies.

 

References:

Nakamura, S., Nakai, F., Ito, Y., Okada, G., and Oki, T.: Levee system transformation in coevolution between human and water systems along the Kiso River, Japan, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2866, 2023.

Nakamura, S., Nakai, F., and Oki, T.: Levee system transformation and its impacts on the human-water system in the Kiso River Basin, Japan, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15847, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15847, 2023.