Post-Tsunami Hazard


Book Description

This monograph focuses on a variety of topics related to reconstruction and restoration in post-tsunami conditions. Aspects such as coastal engineering, early warning systems and technological approaches, urban planning and settlements relocation, socio-economic redevelopment and policy, coastal ecosystems and agricultural redevelopment as well as pollution assessment are included. The reader will benefit from the various case-studies drawn from a number of countries hit by the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the Great East Earthquake and Tsunami of March 2011 in Japan. This book will appeal to scientists and scholars, decision makers, students and practitioners interested in post-tsunami reconstruction and restoration processes.




The 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: Reconstruction and Restoration


Book Description

This book covers the restoration and reconstruction process and activities undertaken in Japan in the first five years since the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami – a period widely considered to be the most intensive reconstruction phase within the 10-year restoration plan drawn up by the Japanese Government. The respective chapters explore technical, scientific, social and non-scientific (policy-related) aspects, including: reconstruction and restoration policies, infrastructure and designs for tsunami coastal defence, resilient urban areas and affected communities, housing and relocation schemes, disaster mitigation and evacuation measures, reactivation of the economy, revitalization of fisheries and coastal agriculture, and industry and tourism. The book also illustrates some of the achievements and failures in a broad range of projects and initiatives intended to address the above-mentioned issues, making it particularly relevant for experts, decision makers, students and other interested scholars.




Disasters by Design


Book Description

Disasters by Design provides an alternative and sustainable way to view, study, and manage hazards in the United States that would result in disaster-resilient communities, higher environmental quality, inter- and intragenerational equity, economic sustainability, and improved quality of life. This volume provides an overview of what is known about natural hazards, disasters, recovery, and mitigation, how research findings have been translated into policies and programs; and a sustainable hazard mitigation research agenda. Also provided is an examination of past disaster losses and hazards management over the past 20 years, including factorsâ€"demographic, climate, socialâ€"that influence loss. This volume summarizes and sets the stage for the more detailed books in the series.




Learning from Megadisasters


Book Description

While not all natural disasters can be avoided, their impact on a population can be mitigated through effective planning and preparedness. These are the lessons to be learned from Japan's own megadisaster: the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, the fi rst disaster ever recorded that included an earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear power plant accident, a power supply failure, and a large-scale disruption of supply chains. It is a sad fact that poor communities are often hardest hit and take the longest to recover from disaster. Disaster risk management (DRM) should therefore be taken into account as a major development challenge, and countries must shift from a tradition of response to a culture of prevention and resilience. Learning from Megadisasters: Lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake consolidates a set of 36 Knowledge Notes, research results of a joint study undertaken by the Government of Japan and the World Bank. These notes highlight key lessons learned in seven DRM thematic clusters—structural measures; nonstructural measures; emergency response; reconstruction planning; hazard and risk information and decision making; the economics of disaster risk, risk management, and risk fi nancing; and recovery and relocation. Aimed at sharing Japanese cutting-edge knowledge with practitioners and decision makers, this book provides valuable guidance to other disaster-prone countries for mainstreaming DRM in their development policies and weathering their own natural disasters.




The Extraordinary Voyage of Kamome


Book Description

This sweet story, intended for lower elementary grades, is intended to provide a window for discussing earthquakes, tsunamis, marine debris, preparedness and cultural awareness in the classroom and within families. On April 7, 2013, a little over two years after the magnitude 9 Tohoku-oki Japan earthquake triggered a massive tsunami off the coast of northeastern Japan, a lone boat washed up on the shores of Crescent City, California. The confirmation of the boat as belonging to a high school in Rikuzentakata was first step in an amazing story that has linked two tsunami-vulnerable communities on opposite sides of the Pacific and initiated friendships between high school students in Rikuzentakata.




Tsunamis and Earthquakes in Coastal Environments


Book Description

This monograph is a compilation of a number of research studies presented in fourteen chapters dealing with the impact and restoration of coastal environments that have been affected by earthquakes and tsunamis. The focus is mainly on rivers, estuaries, coastal lagoons, beaches, and related ecosystems. In addition to direct impact and response due to flooding and subsequent abrasion, this publication covers physical, chemical and biological responses in coastal morphology, water quality and ecosystems and includes also topics dealing with risk reduction and vulnerability. This compilation mainly covers examples from large magnitude earthquake and tsunami events in the Indian and Pacific Ocean that are complemented with other events in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. Comprehensive descriptions of multi-scale impacts of tsunami and earthquake events, both spatially and temporally, will help the reader to understand the complicated interactions which occur in coastal zones in order to create a sustainable, resilient environment and achieve a society with smart post-event recovery planning. This book is aimed at researchers and students in coastal science and engineering as well as at policy makers, environmental planners and coastal managers.




The Era of Great Disasters


Book Description

The Era of Great Disasters examines modern disaster response in Japan, from the changing earthquake preparations and regulations, to immediate emergency procedures from the national, prefectural, and city levels, and finally the evolving efforts of rebuilding and preparing for the next great disaster in the hopes of minimizing their tragic effects. This book focuses on three major earthquakes from Japan’s modern history. The first is the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake, which struck the capital region. The second is the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, affecting the area between Kobe and Osaka. The third is the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the magnitude 9.0 quake that struck off the Pacific coast of the Tōhoku region, causing a devastating tsunami and the nuclear accident. While the events of (and around) each of these earthquakes are unique, Professor Iokibe brings his deep expertise and personal experience to each disaster, unveiling not only the disasters themselves but the humanity underneath. In each case, he gives attention and gratitude to those who labored to save lives and restore the communities affected, from the individuals on the scene to government officials and military personnel and emergency responders, in hope that we might learn from the past and move forward with greater wisdom, knowledge, and common purpose.




After Great Disasters


Book Description

Great natural disasters are rare, but their aftermath can change the fortunes of a city or region forever. This book and its companion Policy Focus Report identify lessons from different parts of the world to help communities and government leaders better organize for recovery after future disasters. The authors consider the processes and outcomes of community recovery and reconstruction following major disasters in six countries: China, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. Post-disaster reconstruction offers opportunities to improve construction and design standards, renew infrastructure, create new land use arrangements, reinvent economies, and improve governance. If done well, reconstruction can help break the cycle of disaster-related impacts and losses, and improve the resilience of a city or region.




Tohoku Recovery


Book Description

The March 11 disaster in 2011, known as the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, caused extensive damage in various sectors. Through the recovery process, special lessons are being learned and applied in the affected region. This book attempts to draw lessons from different issues and sectors such as policy perspectives (both national and local), the role of international NGOs, fishing industries and other livelihoods, temporary housing, health, heritage, and lesson sharing. The book outlines the need and approach for sharing the lessons with wider communities in developing those lessons. Based on intensive field research, the book also provides some key lessons from community-based recovery in the affected regions of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. This book has 13 chapters in two parts. The first part of the book, with seven chapters, provides a set of lessons from diverse sectors. The second part, with six chapters, provides case studies from different areas of Tohoku. Six specific issues are addressed in part 1: the role of international agencies, livelihood (namely, fisheries) recovery, temporary housing, health, heritage, and lesson sharing. Part 2 has six case studies from different areas of the Tohoku region, including Fukushima. The primary target groups for this book are students and researchers in the fields of environment, disaster risk reduction, and recovery studies. The book provides them with a good idea of the current research trends in the field and furnishes basic knowledge about these vital topics. Another target group comprises practitioners and policy makers, who will be able to apply the knowledge collected here to policy and decision-making.




Agricultural and Forestry Reconstruction After the Great East Japan Earthquake


Book Description

This book summarizes the results of 3 years of agricultural and forestry reconstructive efforts and applied research conducted directly in the affected areas of Fukushima following the Great East Japan Earthquake. It describes fast and effective revival methods and technologies from tsunami and radiation damages, demonstrated through the collaborative efforts of researchers, students, local farmers, forest owners, and municipalities gathered under the Tokyo University of Agriculture East Japan Assistance Project. Consisting of four parts, the first part of the book provides an overview of the damage and measures taken to overcome them by the local municipalities and the Tokyo University of Agriculture. The second part presents data and results of agricultural recovery from the tsunami—for example, monitoring systems, reconstruction models, and convenient, low-cost methods developed for the restoration of tsunami-damaged paddy fields. The third part focuses on recovery from radiation-contaminated farmlands and forests and consequent reputational damages. Included are various primary data obtained from field experiments and surveys, studies on the mechanism of contamination, and the results of radical monitoring, decontamination, and restoration techniques performed at this site. The final part is a collection of reflections of local farmers, forest owners, and students who participated in the project. The academic trials and errors recorded in this book are an invaluable contribution to disaster management and recovery processes. It is written for a wide audience, not limited to researchers and students, but also for government and state officials, municipalities, agricultural cooperative staff members, and farmers.