Japan expands infrastructure disaster prevention and PPP initiatives

Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is implementing several measures to strengthen national infrastructure and disaster resilience. The Ministry plans to expand the target areas for river works related to earthquake and storm surge countermeasures, moving beyond specific high-risk zones to include regions like the Sea of Japan coast and inland areas.

In Osaka, the City Waterworks Bureau is exploring new public-private partnership (PPP) models to accelerate the replacement of aging water pipes. The initiative aims to increase the annual replacement rate and targets a 10-year project period to enhance seismic resilience against major earthquakes.

Meanwhile, MLIT Director-General Mikihito Kusuda emphasized a shift toward active government involvement to stimulate private investment in growth and crisis management. However, a recent survey of private sector clients reveals challenges; over half of surveyed companies reported an increase in instances where they had to postpone or scale back construction projects due to rising material and labor costs, as well as labor shortages.