our response to inundation damage in terms of both structural and non-structural elements.

## (iv) Revising the Flood Prevention Act and the Sewerage Act

In recent years, we have seen many instances of inundation damage exceeding current expectations due to flooding, local runoff, and storm surges. There is thus a growing need to enhance and reinforce evacuation systems and other responses to such inundation damage.

In areas in front of train stations and other locations where urban functions are concentrated, additional improvements to sewerage systems are difficult to carry out because of the congestion of underground space and other factors and it is required to promote flood measures with the corporation of private sectors.

In light of these issues, the Flood Prevention Act and Sewerage Act were amended in May 2015.

These amendments called for the establishment of a system of areas that are expected to become submerged in connection with conceivable maximum-scale flooding, local runoff, and storm surges; the establishment of a system of publicizing water levels corresponding to runoff and storm surges; the establishment of a system of areas subject to measures to address inundation damage; and cooperative measures for dealing with flood prevention as undertaken by sewage works administrators.

## (v) Strengthening the Flood Prevention Framework

In collaboration with prefectural governments, flood prevention administrative bodies, neighborhood associations, and other stakeholders, we have been implementing joint inspections of sections at high risk of flooding prior to the arrival of flood season, carrying out information-transmission drills, holding flood-prevention technical workshops and flood-prevention drills, endeavoring to disseminate flood-prevention technologies, and otherwise providing support for the strengthening of the flood prevention framework in order to minimize damage caused by flooding.

In order to reinforce the ability of local areas to prevent floods with the participation of various key players, we are also supporting initiatives tied to plans for the securing of voluntary evacuations and the prevention of inundation in underground malls (including those slated to be constructed and those that are under construction) situated in areas expected to become submerged, facilities for people with special needs, and large-scale factories. With respect to underground malls, we are promoting initiatives for the production of plans for the securing of voluntary evacuations and the prevention of inundation jointly with adjacent facilities into which water is expected to infiltrate and through which users are expected to evacuate.

## (vi) Publicizing Forecasts and Warnings of Flooding and Providing River Information

The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism or the Prefectural Governor designate rivers with large river basins that are at risk of causing great damage to the nation’s economy or other great losses as flood forecast rivers and issue flood forecasts indicating the water level or flood volume jointly with the Director-General of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Also, aside from flood forecast rivers, important middle to small rivers are designated as water level alert rivers, and during floods, when the water level reaches flood-warning levels (special caution water levels of flood), this information is also released. As of the end of March 2015, there are 419 flood forecast rivers and 1,568 water level alert rivers.

The water level, rainfall volume, flood forecasts, flood prevention warnings and other river information is collected, processed, and edited in real-time and made available to river administrators, municipalities, residents, and others on the website “River Disaster Prevention Information (Kawa Boh) Note $ ^{1} $ ” to be utilized in issuing warnings and evacuation during floods.

Also, the data broadcast function of digital terrestrial television is being used in cooperation with broadcasters for efforts to provide river water levels and rainfall volume information and by March 2016, 51 broadcast stations nationwide are providing such services. In observing rainfall levels, conventional radar rain gauges (C-band radar) and a ground-observation network, as well as the XRAIN network (MLIT X-band MP radar network) $ {}^{Note 2} $ , which is capable of observing local rainfall patterns virtually in real time in order to help facilitate appropriate river management and disaster-