ABSTRACT
Flood control infrastructure confers safety for some but transfers floodwa- ter and associated flood risk to others who are already socioeconomically marginalized. This downside of flood control is demonstrated by Shezidao in Taipei. While the socioeconomically more important areas of Taipei are protected against a 200-year flood, Shezidao has been defined as a “flood zone” and its physical development legally prohibited since 1970. As a result, Shezidao has experienced the deterioration of its living environ- ment. Shezidao’s residents have felt a sentiment of injustice that they are being sacrificed for the flood safety of the rest of the city. This chapter discusses the important issue of environmental justice associated with flood control as the dominant approach to flood management in river cities around the world.
