Climate change impacts
In Fukuoka Prefecture, large-scale disasters caused by heavy rainfall occurred in July 2017, and July 2018. In both instances water supply facilities were damaged. The predicted annual frequency of heavy rainfall and also short duration heavy rainfall for Fukuoka Prefecture at the end of the 21st century is expected to be significantly greater compared to the end of the 20th century. Of particular concern is the prediction that the instances of short duration heavy rainfall with an hourly precipitation of 50mm or more will increase by 0.6 times per year. Water supply systems, which are indispensable for supporting both people’s lives and the socioeconomic infrastructure, are required to be prepared for disasters such as heavy rains.
Adaptation activity
In March 2019, Fukuoka Prefecture formulated the "Fukuoka Prefecture Water Supply Strategy", which describes the directions and measures to be taken by water utilities and other related parties. Based on the optimum vision of a "water supply capable of providing a continuous, stable supply of safe water", the strategy outlines the basic policies and implementation measures to achieve the following goals: "safety" as the assurance of tap water that is safe to drink, "resilience" as assurance of the reliability of water supply in the event of disasters, and "sustainability" as assurance of the long-term sustainability of the supply system (Fig.).
Of these, the basic policies for "resilience" are to build water supply facilities that are resilient to disasters and to strengthen the crisis management system. In order to achieve this goal, the development of ruggedized communication networks, systematic earthquake-resistant construction, better coordination between facilities, and the strengthening of backup management systems have been promoted. The development of a crisis management manual will enable a rapid and appropriate response in the event of disasters, and further improvements are being promoted to ensure that the manual is practically effective. In order to respond to large-scale disasters, emergency water supply and emergency recovery plans have been formulated and enhanced so that emergency water supply and recovery activities can be carried out in cooperation with various stakeholders. In addition to the development of an emergency communication system, the prefecture, together with water service providers, is actively providing information to prefectural residents, and is also promoting disaster prevention exercises such as emergency water supply drills to raise awareness of crisis management among related parties.
Outputs / Expected benefits
By putting forward the objective of an optimum Fukuoka Prefecture water supply system, and indicating the direction it should take and the measures necessary to achieve this, it is expected that the foundation of the water supply system will be strengthened, and a stable, secure and future-proof supply system for hygienic water will be established.
