Significance and Future Direction for Designation and Management of Landslide- Prone Zones

The legal basis for the systematic prevention and response to landslide hazards, and the rehabilitation of landslide-hit areas, was established through the amendment of the Forest Protection Act in August 2012. The most noticeable amendment to the Act is the inclusion of clauses associated with the designation and management of landslide-prone zones (including debris flow-prone zones). In this paper, we (1) introduce the clauses related to the designation and management of landslide-prone zones that were included in the amended Forest Protection Act, (2) examine their significance by reviewing the present status of related domestic laws and structural countermeasures such as sediment check dams for sediment-related disaster prevention, and (3) suggest the future directions of the procedure for the designation and cancellation of such zones, and their maintenance and institutional aspects. The establishment of an institutional device for the designation and management of landslide-prone zones has great significance in the aspect of (1) the establishment of a comprehensive management and prevention system for potential landslide-prone zones in forested areas where the hazard risk has been poorly recognized as compared with the flood risks in lowlands, and (2) the establishment of the basis for overcoming the limits of structural countermeasures according to limited budgets. To develop the designation and management system for landslide-prone zones, not only must present problems be addressed, but a cooperation system betwee