Crucial social factors for enhancing ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction practices in local governments

Abstract

In recent years, green infrastructure (GI), an approach that actively leverages natural environments for societal development, has gained increasing attention. A key component of this is ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), which utilises ecosystems as disaster-prevention infrastructure and has been adopted as an administrative policy in many regions. GI seeks to integrate ecosystems into human society as functional infrastructure, making societal systems critical to its implementation. This study investigates the factors that promote Eco-DRR-related GI projects within local administrations. Drawing on data from basic land-use plans and a nationwide survey of local governments, we examined project implementation, land-use category ratios, and the positioning of GI within administrative plans. Statistical analysis of responses from 673 municipalities revealed that those with substantial forest and agricultural areas in their land-use plans were more likely to implement Eco-DRR-related GI projects tailored to those environments. In contrast, municipalities with predominantly urban land use tended not to pursue GI projects for urban areas, likely due to the higher costs of installing artificial structures compared to leveraging existing ecosystems. Administrative planning also played a pivotal role. The inclusion of GI within comprehensive plans was associated with increased project implementation, regardless of the target area. Additionally, other administrative plans showed potential for the promotion of GI projects aligned with specific land-use categories. These findings suggest that both land-use composition and administrative positioning are key drivers in advancing Eco-DRR-related GI initiatives.