Details of the Researcher

PHOTO

Kozo Nagami
Section
International Research Institute of Disaster Science
Job title
Specially Appointed Professor(Research)
Degree

  • Ph.D (Toyo University)

e-Rad No.
60976322
Profile

We conduct research on “development and disaster risk reduction,” which examines the mechanisms by which development aimed at improving quality of life can simultaneously increase disaster risk, and explores how disaster risk reduction should be addressed within broader development challenges.

Research History 8

  • 2023/10 - Present
    Tohoku University　Graduate School of Environmental Studies　Specially Appointed Professor

  • 2023/06 - Present
    Tohoku University　International Research Institute of Disaster Science　Specially Appointed Professor

  • 2026/04 - Present
    大学共同利用機関法人 人間文化研究機構 総合地球環境学研究所　共同研究員

  • 2022/11 - Present
    Tohoku University　Green Goals Initiative　Specially Appointed Professor

  • 2019/12 - 2022/11
    Japan International Cooperation Agency　Global Environment Department　DRR Group Director

  • 2016/01 - 2019/12
    Japan International Cooperation Agency　JICA Nepal Office　Deputy Chief Representative

  • 2011/04 - 2015/12
    Japan International Cooperation Agency　JICA Tohoku Branch　Advisor

  • 2005/05 - 2008/08
    Japan International Coopeartion Agency　JICA Indonesia Office　Resident Representative

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Education 3

  • Toyo University　Graduate School of Regional Development Studies　International Development Studies

    2014/10 - 2018/03

  • University of Southern California　School of Policy, Planning and Development　Master of Public Policy

    1999/08 - 2001/05

  • Kyoto University　Faculty of Engineering　School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

    1990/04 - 1994/03

Committee Memberships 2

  • 国土交通省　「国際ワークショップ協定「水文学的リスク」(IWA50)国内委員会」委員

    2025/05 - 2027/03

  • The Japan Society for International Development　Editorial Board Member

    2023/11 - 2025/10

Professional Memberships 3

  • The City Planning Institute of Japan

  • 日本災害復興学会

  • 国際開発学会

Research Interests 5

  • Disaster Recovery

  • Reversal of the Levee Effect

  • Sustainable Urban Development

  • Disaster Risk Increasing Development (DRID)

  • Pre-disaster DRR investment

Research Areas 2

  • Humanities & social sciences / Local studies /

  • Social infrastructure (civil Engineering, architecture, disaster prevention) / Disaster prevention engineering / Disaster Risk Governance

Awards 2

  1. Best Presentation Awards

    2024/11　The 16th AIWEST-DR 2024　Medium to Long-term Impacts from In-situ Housing Reconstruction: Insights from Post-disaster Surveys of the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Nepal Earthquake

  2. International Academic Awards

    2013/04　International Association of Traffic and Safety Science

Papers 12

  1. Population decline in inherently high flood-risk areas as a counter to Disaster Risk Increasing Development: evidence from the Arakawa River, Tokyo Peer-reviewed

    Kozo Nagami, Ryo Inoue, Daisuke Komori

    Frontiers in Water　8　2026/04/21

    Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

    DOI： 10.3389/frwa.2026.1783482 　

    eISSN： 2624-9375

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    Urban development in floodplains generates economic gains but also increases hazard exposure. This study would like to name such contradictory development patterns as Disaster Risk Increasing Development (DRID), drawing on sociohydrological discourse. Flood control achieved through pre-disaster disaster risk reduction (DRR) investments in the process of DRID may lower risk perception (the levee effect), encourage settlement, and ultimately increase potential losses (the safe development paradox). Japan, with its DRID-with-DRR investment model, has promoted pre-disaster DRR investment globally; however, it continues to face challenges such as low economic growth, population aging, and climate change. In this context, how DRID can be suppressed despite the degradation of risk perception arising from DRR investment remains unclear. This study investigates whether heightened flood-risk perception associated with hazard map disclosure can coincide with population decline in inherently high-risk areas, suggesting a potential pathway to reduce long-term DRR burdens while setting aside the urgent short-term resolution of such conditions. The study focuses on the downstream area of the Arakawa River in Tokyo (11 wards), which has consistently received DRR investments over many years and has experienced fewer flood incidents in recent decades. Building on prior research that revealed statistically significant land-price declines in higher flood-hazard zones from 2005 to 2024, we evaluate development and exposure trends by overlaying a probable maximum rainfall hazard map (1-in-1000-year event) with multiple spatial datasets: 100-m mesh land-use subdivision data (1976–2021), 500-m mesh census population statistics (1970–2020), and zoning revision records (2011–2019). The results indicate that the population share in the highest hazard categories (rank ≥ 3) has declined since around 2000. Regression analysis further reveals statistically significant population decline in higher-risk areas during 2010–2020, although the total population of the Tokyo 23 wards had been consistently increasing since 1996. Further analysis of zoning changes and new residential zone development suggests that risk information, together with regulatory and planning interventions, can work in alignment to counter DRID by shifting residential exposure away from the highest flood-risk areas reversing the past levee effect.

  2. Flood Risk Perception in an Inherently Flood-Prone Urban Area: Based on a Land Price Analysis in the Arakawa River Downstream Area, Tokyo Peer-reviewed

    Kozo Nagami, Ryo Inoue, Daisuke Komori

    Journal of Disaster Research　2025/04/02

    DOI： 10.20965/jdr.2025.p0222 　

  3. Medium to long-term impacts from in-situ housing reconstruction: Insights from post-disaster surveys of the Indian ocean tsunami and Nepal earthquake Peer-reviewed

    Kozo Nagami, Tomoki Miyano, Mohammad Naser Sediqi

    International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction　2025/02

    DOI： 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.105175 　

  4. Practical Approaches to Build Back Better with Inclusive Recovery from Earthquake Disasters: A Discussion Based on the 2015 Nepal Earthquake Recovery Project by JICA

    Kozo Nagami, Tomoki Miyano, Naoki Nishimura, Yoji Toriumi, Nanako Tsukahara, Ayuko Nakamura

    Field Report from JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development　(5)　2021/05

  5. Securing recovery needs for Build Back Better (BBB) by linking Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) with sectoral breakdown of World Risk Index (WRI)

    Nagami, Kozo, Takeya, Kimio

    Global Assessment Report on Disater Risk Reduction　2019/05

  6. Improvement of socio-hydrological model to capture the dynamics of pluvial floods: a case study in frequent pluvial flooding areas in Wakayama City, Japan Peer-reviewed

    Daisuke Komori, Yuika Oyatsu, Muthiah Sadidah, Kozo Nagami

    Frontiers in Water　7　2025/10/23

    Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

    DOI： 10.3389/frwa.2025.1553835 　

    eISSN： 2624-9375

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    In conventional socio-hydrological research, no studies have developed a system dynamics model to capture the dynamics of pluvial floods alone, and the target areas have been large-scale, such as cities and river basins. Thus, the target social community is not single entity but rather multiple, encompassing various communities, including both disaster-stricken and non-disaster-stricken areas. In this study, we developed a system dynamics model to capture the dynamics of pluvial floods alone. We identified frequent pluvial flooding areas using flooding area records since 1993 for 25 years for only targeting disaster-stricken areas on a scale of 400–1,000 m 2 , and applied the developed model to these areas and verified that social vulnerability (levee effect and adaptation effect) could be explained by residents' flood memory estimated by the model. The adaptation effect, a phenomenon in which the continued memory of flooding enhances a society's ability to cope with flooding and reduces social vulnerability, occurred in both urban areas with public drainage systems and rural areas without public drainage systems. On the other hand, the levee effect, a phenomenon in which the frequency of flooding within the floodplain decreases by installing flood control facilities, the development of floodplain areas is promoted, increasing social vulnerability, and flood control facilities are enhanced to improve further flood control safety, which is a typical phenomenon involving the interaction between human activities and flooding, occurred only in rural areas. It was considered that residents' awareness of the increased flood risk in the area due to changes in land use from rice paddy fields to residential areas was lacking, as they had no prior experience with severe floods. In this study, by simplifying the analysis of disaster-stricken areas (frequent pluvial flooding areas), it was possible to capture the interaction between the simplified social community and flooding more directly, allowing the adaptation and levee effects to be more clearly captured. In future socio-hydrology research, it is essential to consider the scale of the analysis target.

  7. Relationship Between Urbanization–Induced Land Use Changes and Flood Risk: Case Study in Chiang Mai, Thailand Peer-reviewed

    Zhaolong Gu, Sartsin Phakdimek, Kozo Nagami, Daisuke Komori

    Water　2025/01/24

    DOI： 10.3390/w17030327 　

  8. 地震復興における包摂性に配慮したBuild Back Betterの実践的手法：JICAネパール地震復興事業に基づく論考

    永見 光三, 宮野 智希, 西村 直紀, 鳥海 陽史, 塚原 奈々子, 中村 あゆ子

    JICA緒方貞子平和開発研究所フィールドレポート　(5)　2020/07

    DOI： 10.18884/00001038 　

  9. Disaster Risk Reduction and Building Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

    Ramesh Ananda Vaidya, Mandira Singh Shrestha, Nusrat Nasab, Deo Raj Gurung, Nagami Kozo, Neera Shrestha Pradhan, Robert James Wasson

    The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment　389-419　2019/01/05

    Publisher: Springer International Publishing

    DOI： 10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_11 　

  10. 災害脆弱性セクター分類評価に基づく復興政策及び計画の立案支援モデルに関する基礎的研究 ―ビルド・バック・ベター実現のために―

    永見光三

    東洋大学学術情報レポジトリ　(32663甲第434号)　2018/07

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    http://id.nii.ac.jp/1060/00010076/

  11. Study on Aceh Recovery Process in the perspective of “Build Back Better” defined in SFDRR Peer-reviewed

    NAGAMI Kozo, KITAWAKI Hidetoshi, TAKEYA Kimio, MATSUMARU Ryo, ARAMAKI Toshiya

    Journal of Disaster Recovery and Revitalization　10　22-31　2017

    Publisher: Japan Society for Disaster Recovery and Revitalization

    DOI： 10.34606/jsdrr.10.0_22 　

    eISSN： 2435-4147

  12. Reconstruction of the Aceh Region following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster: A transportation perspective Peer-reviewed

    Ryo Matsumaru, Kozo Nagami, Kimio Takeya

    IATSS RESEARCH　36　(1)　11-19　2012/07

    DOI： 10.1016/j.iatssr.2012.07.001 　

    ISSN： 0386-1112

    eISSN： 2210-4240

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Misc. 2

  1. 8103 Basic Study on Legal System and Practice of Building Permit in Developing Countries : Part 1: Indonesia

    NARAFU Tatsuo, KAMEMURA Yukiyasu, SHIRAKAWA Kazushi, NAGAMI Kozo, IMAI Hiroshi, HOSAKA Hiroto, OKAMOTO Ryunosuke, SAKUMA Junzo

    Summaries of technical papers of Annual Meeting Architectural Institute of Japan. F-1, Urban planning, building economics and housing problems　(2011)　1355-1356　2011/07/20

    Publisher: Architectural Institute of Japan

    ISSN： 1341-4534

  2. 海外住宅情報シリーズ(170)インドネシア地震災害復興における住宅自主再建

    永見 光三, 竹谷 公男

    月刊住宅着工統計 / 国土交通省総合政策局情報政策課, 国土交通省住宅局住宅政策課 監修　(312)　6-13　2011/03

    Publisher: 建設物価調査会

    ISSN： 0911-1697

Books and Other Publications 6

  1. Shaping Resilience in Mountains: The Case for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

    L Rodriguez, Stefan Schneiderbauer

    Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure　2025/11

  2. 現代ネパールを知るための60章

    日本ネパール協会

    明石書店　2020/05

    ISBN: 9784750350158

  3. 「事前防災投資で災害リスクを削減」

    国際開発ジャーナル社　2023/09

  4. パンデミック時代のSDGsと国際貢献 : 2030年のゴールに向けて

    北脇, 秀敏, 松丸, 亮, 金子, 彰, 眞子, 岳, 東洋大学国際共生社会研究センター

    朝倉書店　2021/11

    ISBN: 9784254180619

  5. The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment

    Philippus Wester, Arabinda Mishra, Aditi Mukherji, Arun Bhakta Shrestha

    Springer Cham　2019/01

    ISBN: 9783319922874

  6. 大災害に立ち向かう世界と日本

    「大災害と国際協力」研究会, 明石, 康, 大島, 賢三, 柳沢, 香枝

    佐伯印刷　2013/03/11

    ISBN: 4905428351

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Presentations 14

  1. Roundtable B: Enabling Rapid Livelihood & Economic Recovery Invited

    Kozo NAGAMI

    High-Level Policy Dialogue on Resilient Recovery　2025/09/19

  2. A Research on Disaster Risk Increasing Development Trends in Major Urban Areas of Japan

    Kozo NAGAMI

    The 2nd International Sociohydrology Conference　2025/07/19

  3. Medium to Long-term Impacts from In-situ Housing Reconstruction: Insights from Post-disaster Surveys of the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Nepal Earthquake

    Kozo NAGAMI

    The 16th ACEH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP AND EXPO ON SUSTAINABLE TSUNAMI DISASTER RECOVERY (AIWEST - DR 2024)　2024/11/09

  4. Smart and Sustainable Communities: Leveraging Science, Technology and Innovation as a Strategy for Building Disaster and Climate Resilience Invited

    Kozo NAGAMI

    APMCDRR 2024 (Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction)　2024/10/16

  5. Urban Resilience and Climate Adaptation in Japan Invited

    Kozo NAGAMI

    A Climate Resilient Communities Webinar, INTERSECT Circle seminar series　2025/01/27

  6. Practical research and education for DRR implementation Invited

    Kozo NAGAMI

    International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum Incheon 2024　2024/10/29

  7. Challenges after the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework Invited

    Kozo NAGAMI

    Disaster Risk Management and Japan’s Role in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)　2023/10/10

  8. ウクライナ復興を自然災害からの Build Back Better で読み解く

    永見光三

    3大学連続ワークショップ「ウクライナ復興そして未来を考える」第2回　2023/09/08

  9. Trends emerging from the midterm review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 in Asia and the Pacific, including the implementation of its health aspects

    Kozo NAGAMI

    The Eighth session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, ESCAP　2023/07/25

  10. Learning from the Voluntary National Reviews within Research and Reflecting on Challenges after the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework

    Kozo NAGAMI

    University of North Carolina　2023/07/11

  11. 「ODAを活かしてCollective impactを実現することは可能か？：JICA『クラスター・アプローチ』を通じた共創の試みとその課題」

    永見光三, 小林 誉明, 室谷龍太郎, 吉田友哉, 功能 聡子, キム・ソヤン, 大山 貴稔

    国際開発学会第32回全国大会　2022/11

  12. 「パンデミック時代のSDGsと国際貢献－2030年のゴールに向けて－ 」 Invited

    永見光三

    東洋大学国際共生社会研究センター 書籍出版記念シンポジウム　2021/10/22

  13. 東北復興の支援手法・課題の地域活性化・途上国支援への適用可能性について

    永見光三

    国際開発学会第16回春季大会口頭発表　2015/06

  14. JICA事業を通じた東日本大震災復興への貢献について―市民参加協力事業 による内外一元化の可能性―

    永見光三

    国際開発学会第24回全国大会口頭発表　2013/11

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Research Projects 5

  1. WEDiDEA Project: A World Ecology of Disasters in Development in East Asia: Integrating Values into Decision-Making by Shifting Worldviews Abstract

    Category: Co-creation of the Earth-human System Program

    Institution: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

    2026/06 - 2031/03

  2. 低成長及び気候変動時代に向けた事前防災投資の出口戦略の可能性に関する研究

    永見 光三

    Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会

    System: 科学研究費助成事業

    Category: 基盤研究(C)

    Institution: 東北大学

    2026/04/01 - 2030/03/31

  3. 災害復興における防災集団移転に関する中長期的な影響評価

    Offer Organization: 一般社団法人 東北地域づくり協会

    System: 技術開発支援事業

    2025/04 - 2027/03

  4. Factor analysis of mountains road damage and development on simple ground disaster control structure in the Nepal earthquake

    Hara Tadashi, KOKUSHO takaji, KURIBAYASHI kentaro, KIMURA syun, USUKURA kazuya, NISHI tsuyoshi, SHIMOMURA syoji, NISHIMURA yoshiyuki, MIYOSHI katsuaki, NAGAMI kozo, Sangraula Durga Prasad, Bhattarai Pawan

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

    Institution: Kochi University

    2016/04/01 - 2019/03/31

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    Though human losses due to collapses of buildings and damages related to roads and river facilities were observed during the 2015 Nepal Gokha Earthquake, the functions of many gabion structures were found to be maintained because of their high flexibility against earthquake in mountainous areas. In order to evaluate the earthquake resistance of gabion structures, the Researchers conducted field surveys, in-site tests, laboratory tests along the Araniko Highway where a lot of slope failure occurred during the earthquake. It was found that due to the advantage of low cost and easy construction, as well as the readily available construction materials, gabion structures were widely used in roads, rivers and erosion control works in Nepal. Based on the surveys and the laboratory tests, we analyzed the current status of gabion applications and structural features of gabion structures, and suggested a gabion walls design and construction manual.

  5. Research on resettlement policies and decision making processes of disaster affected communities in Aceh and Yogyakarta

    Iuchi Kanako, Nagami Kozo, Nareswari Ardhya, Sidiq Asrul

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research

    Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

    Institution: Tohoku University

    2014/04/01 - 2017/03/31

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    Communities stricken by natural disasters are increasingly considering rebuilding by relocating themselves to safer areas. Policy makers and planners bear responsibility to plan and lead such rebuilding; however, research on rebuilding processes and its outcomes are still limited. This study focuses on two locations in Indonesia: Aceh, devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Yogyakarta, affected by the 2010 Merapi mountain volcanic eruption. It explores the transformation of the regulatory framework regarding community rebuilding. Second, it unpacks rationales for planning decisions for community rebuilding in both regions, accounting for their different cultures and social systems. Results suggest that as communities were given increasing responsibility in rebuilding, greater and continued ownership is developed among them. Initial comparison of international cases also confirmed such a critical tendency.

Teaching Experience 1

  1. Pre-Disaster DRR Investment for Sustainable Development　Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University