Procedures Begin to Designate Kaikogawa River and Others as Specific Urban Rives
Overview
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has begun procedures to designate the Kaikogawa River and other rivers in the Kano River system, located in the Kaikogawa River basin of Shizuoka Prefecture, as “specific urban rivers” under the Act on Countermeasures for Flood Damage of Specific Urban Rivers. Going forward, the ministry will hear opinions from the heads of Shizuoka Prefecture, Izu no Kuni City, Mishima City, and Kannami Town. Procedures for the Horikawa River, designated by the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, also began on the same date, accelerating basin flood control efforts through legal frameworks and new budgetary and tax systems.
Key points
- Procedures have begun to designate the Kaikogawa River and other rivers as specific urban rivers.
- Procedures for the Horikawa River, designated by the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, also began on the same date.
- The authorities will hear opinions from relevant organizations in the future.
- Basin flood control will be accelerated by utilizing legal frameworks, budgetary systems, and tax systems.
Overview
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has begun procedures in the Kaikogawa River basin of the Kano River system in Shizuoka Prefecture to designate the Kaikogawa River and other first-class rivers in the Kano River system as “specific urban rivers” under the Act on Countermeasures for Flood Damage of Specific Urban Rivers. Procedures for the Horikawa River, designated by the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, also began on the same date.
The background includes a legal framework centered on the basin flood control-related laws that fully came into force in November 2021, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has indicated a policy of expanding the designation of specific urban rivers to rivers nationwide in stages.
Impact
The announcement directly indicates that legal procedures toward designation will be advanced and that legal frameworks, new budgetary systems, and tax systems will be utilized to the fullest to accelerate basin flood control efforts.
Details
Going forward, opinions will be heard from the heads of Shizuoka Prefecture, Izu no Kuni City, Mishima City, and Kannami Town, which are associated with the Kaikogawa River basin, pursuant to Article 3, Paragraph 8 of the Act on Countermeasures for Flood Damage of Specific Urban Rivers. This is a procedure for seeking opinions and other input from relevant organizations toward designation.
The target area comprises 3 municipalities in the Kaikogawa River basin. The attached materials present the designation of the “Kaikogawa River and other rivers in the Kano River system” as specific urban rivers toward the full-scale implementation of “basin flood control,” as well as the full-scale implementation of “basin flood control” utilizing legal frameworks.