Retarding basins for Ecological Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation to climatic changes

Accomplishment of the Chitose Retarding Basins and the role of Geography

Abstract

The idea of the Chitose Retarding Basins was proposed in 1990 by the geographer to stop the construction plan of the Chitose Diversion Channel, damaging the natural environments. The retarding basin construction was finally adopted as an alternative flood control plan, and accomplished in 2020. It should be emphasized that this plan was made only by geographical methods such as map reading, analyses of natural environments and agriculture, not by civil engineering. Retarding basin is not only a kind of Eco-DRR, but also an adaptive method to climatic changes. Much more contributions of geographers are expected through the retarding basins.