Mabi, Kurashiki City, has reached the five-year milestone since the July 2018 torrential rains.
As of 2023, construction is still underway in many places in Mabi, and the town’s landscape continues to change.
I live in Mabi myself, and although I know that the construction right in front of me is being carried out “to make things safer than they are now,” I don’t know the details of “what they’re doing” or “when it will be completed.”
Here, we introduce the current state of the Mabi Emergency Flood Control Project, including an interview with Hamada Yasuhiko, director of the Takahashi River and Oda River Emergency Flood Control Project Office.
The information presented was current when this article was published in August 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Oda River confluence relocation construction
The central component of the project, the Oda River confluence relocation construction, is a project to move the confluence of the Oda River and Takahashi River 4.6 km downstream and reduce the risk of river flooding during heavy rain.
Here are photos showing the construction as of July 2023.
▼The current confluence of the Oda River and Takahashi River.
The levee visible on the left will connect to the levee on the right, separating the Oda River flowing in the foreground from the Takahashi River visible in the background.
Grass has been planted on the levee to green it, and the words “Oda River relocation scheduled for completion in fiscal 2023” have also turned green as the grass has grown.
▼The Shin-Yanaihara Bridge opened on August 17, 2022.
Excavation is underway beneath the bridge, and the new channel of the Oda River will run below it.
The new confluence of the Takahashi River and Oda River will be farther downstream from this Shin-Yanaihara Bridge.
▼Excavation work on Minamiyama has been completed, and the relocated prefectural road opened to traffic on June 21, 2023.
▼The river disaster prevention station being developed in Yanaihara, Funao.
This river disaster prevention station can be used as a park under normal circumstances, but in an emergency it will serve as a place to prepare for flood-fighting activities and as a forward base.
It can also store supplies such as blocks and is equipped with a heliport.
Interview with Hamada Yasuhiko, Director of the Takahashi River and Oda River Emergency Flood Control Project Office
We spoke with him about the Oda River confluence relocation construction, the project’s central component, as well as soft measures being implemented alongside the construction.
The Oda River confluence relocation construction is scheduled for completion by the end of fiscal 2023. Could you tell us about the current progress?
Hamada (titles omitted)
The project is progressing as scheduled, and as of July 2023, 81% has been completed.
The words “Scheduled for completion by the end of fiscal 2023” are written in large letters on the levee, so there’s pressure not to let the schedule slip (laughs).
We’re entering the season when heavy rain and typhoons can easily cause rivers to rise, but since the July 2018 torrential rain disaster, we’ve been carrying out river channel excavation and strengthening levees.
However, while the confluence relocation construction is still incomplete, it cannot yet deliver its full benefits.
Of course, I hope there will be no damage, and that nothing happens to force us to redo any of the construction.
The Oda River confluence relocation construction is being carried out as a “Special Emergency Project for River Disaster Prevention Measures in Areas Hit by Severe Disasters” (Special Emergency Project). How does it differ from ordinary public works?
Hamada
The pace is definitely different.
We’re completing in five years what was originally planned to take ten.
I think we owe it to the contractors that the schedule has stayed on track even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
No matter how much I say, “We’ll finish it this fiscal year,” the work won’t progress without contractors actually doing it.
You’ve actively worked on non-structural measures for five years, including visiting school lessons and local disaster-prevention events. Have you noticed any changes in Mabi?
Hamada
I feel that disaster-prevention awareness has grown in Mabi over the past five years.
People have also started taking measures against earthquakes and other disasters, not just heavy rain, and I think this high level of disaster-prevention awareness is one of Mabi’s strengths.
At first, we actively took part in local disaster-prevention efforts and worked together to consider what to do, but now, when people need help, a little assistance is enough for local residents to take things forward on their own.
Recently, we’ve also been receiving requests for outreach lectures from outside Mabi, which makes me feel that awareness of the importance of disaster prevention is growing.
When you see news about a disaster, I hope you’ll use it as an opportunity to think about “what we should do,” rather than simply saying, “That place is having a hard time.”
What do you hope Mabi will be like in the future?
Hamada
Once the Oda River confluence relocation construction is complete, Mabi will undoubtedly be safer than it was five years ago.
However, I hope people will understand that “structural measures alone cannot make us completely safe; we’ll have more time to evacuate than before.”
Also, the strength of the community is essential for disaster prevention.
When an emergency happens, it’s your neighbors who can help you.
I hope local connections will grow stronger and that younger generations will be able to play an active role in the community.
From the Writer
If the Oda River confluence relocation construction is completed as scheduled by the end of fiscal 2023, one source of anxiety about living in Mabi will be gone.
However, during the interview, I repeatedly heard that “there are limits to structural improvements alone.” It reminded me once again that I need to prepare for what to do in an emergency by stocking supplies and deciding where to evacuate and when.
Director Hamada also continues to exchange with local residents, including by attending community events.
Rather than relating to residents simply as “the government carrying out construction according to plan and the residents,” he takes the approach of thinking together about disaster prevention in Mabi. I felt that this has earned him the understanding and trust of local residents.
The Mabi Emergency Flood Control Project is in its final stage.
Mabi is becoming a disaster-resilient community through both structural and non-structural measures, while efforts continue to create a town where people can live with peace of mind.
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