Tokyo revises flood guidelines amid recent years' abnormal weather

The Tokyo government revised its flood prevention guidelines to implement preventive measures for underground spaces that are considered to be at the highest risk of flooding, such as subway stations. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revised its flood prevention guidelines for underground spaces in the capital for the first time in 17 years amid abnormal weather conditions in recent years, with disaster plans updated to include artificial intelligence-based risk assessments. The guidelines were revised earlier this month to implement preventive measures for underground spaces that are considered to be at the highest risk of flooding, such as shopping malls and subway stations, as well as rooms in privately owned buildings and houses that are partially or fully below ground. The revision includes implementing AI technologies to process data on past damage and weather patterns as well as the respective area's topography data to calculate the risk of underground facilities flooding and the best route of evacuation. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.