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Project on Risk Identification and Land-use Planning for Disaster Mitigation of Landslides and Floods in Croatia

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

Republic of Croatia

Finished

Project on Risk Identification and Land-use Planning for Disaster Mitigation of Landslides and Floods in Croatia

Reducing the Danger of Landslides and Floods in Fault Zones on the Adriatic

Principal Investigator

- Director, Prof.
  MARUI Hideaki
  Research Institute for Natural Hazards & Disaster Recovery, Niigata University

ODA Recipient Country

Republic of Croatia

Research Institutions in Japan

Niigata University / International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) / Kyoto University

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

University of Split (UNIST) / University of Rijeka (UNIRI) / University of Zagreb (UNIZAG)

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2008

Research Period

5 Years

Overview of the Research Project

Japan provides assistance for problems resulting from unique topography and Geology
Croatia is in a region with a concentration of ground strain, and with a complex topography and geological structure. For this reason, earthquakes occur frequently, as do landslides and localized flash-floods. Accordingly, Japanese science and technology - which leads the world in the field of disaster mitigation - is being applied to Croatia in research aimed at mitigating landslides and floods. Specifically, this project focusses on disaster mitigation in developing regions and places with significant societal value and promotes the establishment of landuse planning policies to mitigate disasters.

Accurate recognition of natural conditions in the country and development of useful tools
As specific achievements, a comprehensive movement monitoring system was installed in representative landslide areas and an early warning system was arranged. In addition, the prototype of a “landslide reproducing test apparatus” that is effective in predicting the travel distance of sliding soil mass was developed. Furthermore, the endangered areas by landslide and flood disasters were classified by site characteristics in an effort to support to carrying out sustainable development of the territory.

Photo gallery

Use of a 3D laser scanner to measure the location of rock blocks with a high risk of collapse that are scattered across the steep slopes of the Adriatic coast (example of measurements made in Du?e, on the outskirts of Split)

Training using a landslide re-creation test unit. The trainees learn techniques for analyzing the movements of landslides in Croatia using a unique test unit developed in Japan.