**Acknowledgements**

*Recent Advances in Flood Risk Management*

able is a question to be answered.

graphs should be given more attention.

reaching a new stage of flood risk management.

concepts such as flood sharing.

in the analysis of exposure.

**4. Conclusion**

**Figure 10.**

flooded paddy fields. The bird droppings, which are rich in phosphate, function as high-quality natural fertilizers for rice and enrich the soil. Rice cultivated under such an environment is branded as such and can be sold at a higher-than-average price. In addition, the large number of overwintering birds attracts a large number of tourists every winter. Although the ecosystem services of the Kabukuri-numa wetland during nondisaster times have been well demonstrated, its flood regulation capability has not been tested since there have been no large-scale floods in recent decades. In addition, there are concerns over the water quality of the wetland due to the large number and high concentration of birds. Bird droppings entering paddy fields may contribute to rice production but may also impact the water quality of adjacent wetlands if entering into its water body. As a matter of fact, water quality testing in the Kabukuri-numa wetland by the author of this chapter indicated that the water body is already eutrophic. How to make this Eco-DRR initiative sustain-

*Current situation of defense construction along the Tsunami-hit coast.*

The present work highlights a number of subjects in the arena of flood risk management that deserve further in-depth research, as summarized below.

In terms of flood hazard identification, flood peak timing and multipeak hydro-

Due to the existence of various definitions and interpretations of vulnerability, there is a need to combine or group some of the notions, if the integration of all is impossible, for the sake of a better and deeper understanding of what really constitutes vulnerability. Following this line of thinking, a new two-layer framework of vulnerability is proposed, integrating existing concepts to a certain extent. This new framework may help develop new approaches to vulnerability reduction, with new

This new framework also suggests that inundation duration should be included

Eco-DRR is an emerging approach to achieving both flood risk management and environmental conservation and may contribute to local economies as well. However, more cases of Eco-DRR across the world should be collected and analyzed from various angles in order to quantify its effectiveness and promote best practice. In Japan, Eco-DRR is advanced in terms of the legal framework supporting it, but there is great uncertainty in terms of its performance. Innovation is indispensable in

**14**

This work was supported by Sophia Research Branding Project 2016.
