Whether a natural event turns into a disaster depends on the severity of the hazard as well as the condition of the social sphere of its potential victims, i.e., vulnerability. We focus on regional vulnerability considering the fact that regional socioeconomic conditions determine the aspects of the damage and thus the risk management policy. This book provides the theory and methodology to understand and cope with regional vulnerability through an interdisciplinary approach. The fields mainly included in this work are welfare and environmental economics, the planning and management area of civil engineering, and risk management. In particular, we focus on hazard and vulnerability surrounding water issues and provide readers with knowledge of how the regional analysis is incorporated into the vulnerability analysis. Also considered is what risk management should be when the diversified regional background of the vulnerability is taken into account. A feature of this book is that it provides contrastive regional coverage: the vulnerability of a developed countryurban and regional areas of Japanand that of a developing country, Bangladesh. The contents consist of three parts: (1) Socioeconomic Vulnerability in a Regional Perspective, (2) Evaluation of Regional Vulnerability, and (3) Coping with Regional Vulnerability. This book is highly recommended to researchers who need an up-to-date and interdisciplinary approach to deal with risk management where regional vulnerability plays an important role.

Defines vulnerability in a broad sense from the point of view of a regional perspective as well as the concepts of sustainability, survivability, and well-being Appeals to various interests with an interdisciplinary approach drawing upon economics, civil engineering, regional planning, public health, and risk management Demonstrates that regional varieties of models from rural to urban and from developing to developed countries are important for formulating a practical risk management policy

Inhalt
Part I Overview and Context.- Chapter 1 Sustainability and Human Well-Being (Kiyoko Hagihara, Chisato Asahi).- Chapter 2 Water Resources Conflict Management: Social Risk Management(Yoshimi Hagihara, Kiyoko Hagihara).- Part II Socioeconomic Vulnerability in a Regional Perspective.- Chapter 3 The Depopulation Problem (Kiyoko Hagihara, Yoshimi Hagihara).- Chapter 4 Regional Vulnerability of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area to Flood and Earthquake Disasters (Sotaro Tsuboi, Chisato Asahi).- Chapter 5 Regional Vulnerability in Okinawa Prefecture (Daisuke Kamiya).- Chapter 6 Health and Environmental Risks Related to Water Supply and Sanitation in the Socio-Environment of Rural Bangladesh (Akira Sakai, Kunio Takahashi, Maiko Sakamoto, Yoshimi Hagihara, Kiyoko Hagihara).- Chapter 7 Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness in Rural Bangladesh (Akira Sakai, Maiko Sakamoto, Kunio Takahashi).- Part III Evaluation of Regional Vulnerability.- Chapter 8 Marginal Willingness to Pay for Public Investment under Urban Environmental Risk: the Case of Municipal Water Use (Kiyoko Hagihara, Chisato Asahi, Yoshimi Hagihara).- Chapter 9 Economic Valuation for Improving Supply Reliability: Risk Countermeasures for Water Quantity and Quality in Water Supply Systems (Chisato Asahi, Kiyoko Hagihara).- Chapter 10 Evaluation of the Vulnerability of Municipal Water Infrastructures (Chisato Asahi, Kiyoko Hagihara).- Chapter 11 Social Environment Analysis Regarding Arsenic Contaminated Drinking Water in Bangladesh (Yosuke Fukushima, Yoshimi Hagihara, Kiyoko Hagihara).- Chapter 12 The Vulnerability of Toilet Facilities in the Bangladesh Rural Area and Sanitary Improvement by Introduction of the Eco San Toilet (Kunio Takahashi, Akira Sakai, Tofayel Ahmed).- Part IV Risk Management of Regional Vulnerability.- Chapter 13 A Supply System for Municipal Water with Uncertainties (Chisato Asahi, Kiyoko Hagihara).- Chapter 14 Community Level Planning for Arsenic Contaminated Drinking Water in Bangladesh(Sho Shibata, Kiyoko Hagihara, Yoshimi Hagihara, Akira Sakai).- Chapter 15 Study on Planning Scheme to Improve the Living Environment through Safe Water Supply and Sanitation in a Rural Village of Bangladesh (Akira Sakai, Tofayel Ahmed, Maiko Sakamoto).- Chapter 16 Waterside Environmental Management Incorporating Sustainability and Survivability (Kiyoko Hagihara, Yoshimi Hagihara, Masanori Kawano).- Chapter 17 Third Party Intervention in Conflict Resolution: Dispute between Bangladesh and India over Control of the Ganges River (Kieth W. Hipel, Maiko Sakamoto, Yoshimi Hagihara).