But local residents may protest such structures, given that they could make the area less attractive. And, as Japan’s recent experience demonstrated, protecting against the most powerful threats – such as the 9.0-magnitude Tohoku earthquake and the subsequent three-meter tsunami – would require massive, costly construction projects.
保护靠近海岸但缺少缓冲海滩的城镇地区需要不同的方法。一个选择是建设足够高的海塘和/或石质海岸以防止海水倒灌。但地方居民可能反对这样的工程，因为这会使该地区失去吸引力。而日本的最新经验表明，对抗最强大的威胁——9.0级地震及随后三米高的海啸——要求大规模、高投入的建设项目。