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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences

Human-centred design approaches to tsunami mitigation under sea level rise in Kesennuma, Japan

  • Hayley Leggett1
  • Muhammad Daffa Al Farizi
  • Muhammad Rizki Purnama
  • Anawat Suppasri1
  • Fumihiko Imamura
  1. 1Tohoku University (Sendai, Japan)
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Abstract

Human-centred design (HCD) is increasingly prioritised as studies show human experience is critical in infrastructure use, and recent policies call for more socially responsive design. Tsunami impacts intensify as sea level rise (SLR) raises baseline water levels and reduces existing defence effectiveness. This study aims to develop and evaluate HCD-integrated multi-layered tsunami defences, assessing whether socially integrated designs can deliver effective protection under projected SLR conditions. Based on identified infrastructure preferences in Kesennuma City, Japan, we develop three multi-layered defence configurations: an environmentally integrated eco-hybrid system (Defence 1), a discreet open-feeling barrier system (Defence 2), and a reinforced high-performance system (Defence 3). Using TUNAMI-N2 numerical modelling, 150 simulations combine three tsunami sources, five SLR conditions, and five defence states. Results for inundation extent, fatality rates, and economic loss show a consistent hierarchy: Defence 3 achieves the strongest containment, while Defence 2, which more closely aligns with residents' preferences for openness and access, delivers near equivalent reductions typically within 10 %–15 %. Defence 1 provides only limited hazard reduction and is unsuitable as a standalone mitigation system. We show that HCD-integrated configurations can deliver strong technical performance and support a shift toward socially integrated, multi-layered tsunami protection under rising sea levels.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{leggett2026humancentred,
  title = {{Human-centred design approaches to tsunami mitigation under sea level rise in Kesennuma, Japan}},
  author = {Hayley Leggett and Muhammad Daffa Al Farizi and Muhammad Rizki Purnama and Anawat Suppasri and Fumihiko Imamura},
  journal = {Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.5194/nhess-26-4911-2026},
  url = {https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/26/4911/2026/},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Human-centred design approaches to tsunami mitigation under sea level rise in Kesennuma, Japan
AU  - Hayley Leggett
AU  - Muhammad Daffa Al Farizi
AU  - Muhammad Rizki Purnama
AU  - Anawat Suppasri
AU  - Fumihiko Imamura
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
JO  - Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences
DO  - 10.5194/nhess-26-4911-2026
UR  - https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/26/4911/2026/
AB  - Human-centred design (HCD) is increasingly prioritised as studies show human experience is critical in infrastructure use, and recent policies call for more socially responsive design. Tsunami impacts intensify as sea level rise (SLR) raises baseline water levels and reduces existing defence effectiveness. This study aims to develop and evaluate HCD-integrated multi-layered tsunami defences, assessing whether socially integrated designs can deliver effective protection under projected SLR conditions. Based on identified infrastructure preferences in Kesennuma City, Japan, we develop three multi-layered defence configurations: an environmentally integrated eco-hybrid system (Defence 1), a discreet open-feeling barrier system (Defence 2), and a reinforced high-performance system (Defence 3). Using TUNAMI-N2 numerical modelling, 150 simulations combine three tsunami sources, five SLR conditions, and five defence states. Results for inundation extent, fatality rates, and economic loss show a consistent hierarchy: Defence 3 achieves the strongest containment, while Defence 2, which more closely aligns with residents' preferences for openness and access, delivers near equivalent reductions typically within 10 %–15 %. Defence 1 provides only limited hazard reduction and is unsuitable as a standalone mitigation system. We show that HCD-integrated configurations can deliver strong technical performance and support a shift toward socially integrated, multi-layered tsunami protection under rising sea levels.
SN  - 1684-9981
ER  -