Cost-Benefit Analysis of Disaster Mitigation Infrastructure: The Case of Seawalls in Otsuchi, Japan

Kimberly Burnett (), Christopher Wada, Aiko Endo () and Makoto Taniguchi ()
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Aiko Endo: Research Department, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature
Makoto Taniguchi: Research Department, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

No 2016-5, Working Papers from University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Abstract: Disaster management problems often pose the same types of challenges that environmental governance problems do; they involve decision-makers at various levels and can transcend political boundaries. We conduct a benefit-cost analysis of a disaster adaptation strategy in Otsuchi, which was undertaken shortly after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami devastated the region. Results indicate that present value net benefits from the planned seawall are positive, even if expected damages are low, provided that the wall is capable of reducing damage by at least 50%. A hybrid method of governance may, however, be effective at increasing the benefit-cost ratio.

Keywords: tsunami; benefit-cost analysis; Otsuchi; seawall; Tohoku; governance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D61 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 16 pages
Date: 2016-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env
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