Capacity building for flood management systems: a conceptual model and case studies

How flood risks are affected by infrastructure and institutional arrangements differs among developed and developing countries. This paper compares flood management systems in Indonesia and Japan as they are affected by institutional, organizational and individual capacities. It uses a conceptual model and applies performance indicators to organize the measures of flood management effectiveness. The case studies show that institutional arrangements are essential for effective flood management, but theireffectiveness depends on implementation capacity. While infrastructure may mitigate flood damage, its limitations must be recognized. Informed awareness of flood threats and management by the local community is critical.