Comparative study of earthquake disaster management in 2 countries of Iran and Japan - Essay Example

Comparative study of earthquake disaster management in 2 countries of Iran and Japan It is important for nations all over the world to prepare for worst cases of natural disasters that can occur in the most unexpected time. Although technology has granted such innovations to detect and be informed of the alarming threat of a tropical storm or earthquake, nothing can really prevent tragedy and destruction from affecting the lives of many people. Mother Nature has its means to carrying out natural calamities and events that are hardly preventive, but society having the responsibility to care and protect the lives of one another must be prepared for these events and be alarmed at the earliest moment of the disaster’s occurrence. In this paper we will be comparing earthquake disaster management plans and schemes between Iran and Japan. Both countries, having two different society and government had experienced major turn of event brought about by the Bam earthquake in Iran and the Kobe earthquake in Japan. These events led a dramatic change in the lives of the people, more so the earthquake disaster management procedures of the two countries. We will be evaluating the earthquake disaster management procedures of the two countries after the earthquake, discern the effects of the earthquake in all aspects of society, determine the most efficient earthquake disaster management between the two countries, and suggests several measures to improve the earthquake disaster management procedures of the lesser effective one adopted by a country. Comparison between Iran and Japan Earthquake Disaster Management In December 26, 2003, Bam Citadel in Iran was devastated by an earthquake on a 6.6 magnitude on the Richter scale. According to reports, almost 70% of the modern city of Bam was destroyed as death tolls were as high as 41,000 and numbers of injured people gross form around 30,000 reported by the Reuters. As the news of the disaster reached the international media, international relief effort came in from different countries. The rescue efforts recovered bodies as the dead were buried through mass graves sanctioned by the mullahs that became a threat for the development of disease and sickness. There are many Iranians who died trapped in their mud-bricked homes which collapsed during the earthquake. Several trapped people were rescued moments after the disaster. Similar destruction was attributed to the Bam disaster which is the Roudbar earthquake in northern Iran in the year 1990. (Iran Bam earthquake, 2006) On January 17 1995, Kobe, Japan became the center of the world’s attention when it was hit by a devastating earthquake. It was the worst natural disaster to strike Japan since the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake and fire. A total of 6,279 deaths were recorded as a result of the earthquake. An estimated 90% of these deaths were due to building collapse and the rest were credited to the fires that engulfed the areas involved. The hardest hit of the earthquake were the cities of Kobe, which tallied 4,484 deaths, Nishinomiya with 1,107 and Ashiya were 453 persons lost their lives. According to the Hyogo Perfecture count, about 34,900 were injured. Most of the casualties were above the age of 60 with a majority being female. The earthquake left 300,000 homeless and more than 136,000 housing units were destroyed. The utilities like light and water was disrupted in the area. !.3 million were not provided basic water services and 2.6 million had no electricity. About 860,000 were not provided natural gas and 300,000 lost phone connection. Direct physical damage resulting from the earthquake is expected to exceed $100 billion. (The 1995 Kobe earthquake, 2005) Iran has a high seismicity accounting to almost 130 large earthquakes happening in most parts of Iran during the years. In 1991, as a respond to the Roudbar earthquake, a comprehensive hazard reduction program was launch. But this is proven to have been ineffective due to its lack of adequate funding and institutional coordination. The natural disaster turned into major human and economic disaster in Iran reflects the nations’ vulnerability to catastrophic events. Several factors which attributes to this situation is the rapid and uncontrolled urbanization of Iran, the persistence of widespread urban and rural poverty, the degradation of environmental resources which is a result of mismanagement of resources, inefficient public policies and lagging and misguided investments and regulations on infrastructures. Iran earthquake disaster management is focused with emergency response to the situation but disregards the idea of natural hazard prevention and mitigation schemes. The earthquake disaster measures must include a comprehensive approach in both pre-disaster reduction and post-disaster recovery. Most earthquakes in Japan usually occur in the Tokai region. The government and the public usually fear earthquakes in this region. Because of this, other regions did not have the preparation and focus of Tokai. The rarity of earthquakes in the Kansai region made Kobe ill prepared for such a disaster. The combination of different factors, the intensity of the quake, the building plan of the cities and the demography of the region made the Kobe earthquake tailor-made for maximum disaster.(Kawata, 2006) In addition to the effects of the earthquake, fire was a major player in the Kobe disaster. Flames resulting from broken natural gas outlets engulfed the city, preying on the combustibility of the wooden mass housing units. The lack of water and the magnitude of the fires as well as the division of fire fighters into other rescue duties caused a slow response to this threat. The ensuing chaos after the quake made rescue and relief operations particularly hard. Extensive damage to highway and rail operations in the region and debris blocking the streets created a very high state of congestion which limited mobility of refugees and rescue operations. The blackout of basic communication services led to miss assessment and misinformation regarding the true status of the area. The sheer volume of fires that result from the quake made firefighter’s efforts almost futile. This is similar to the problems which rose after the Bam earthquake disaster in 2003. Although search and rescue operations were swift and fast, the lack of technology particularly with communication enabled the agencies and organizations efficient post-disaster response. The response regarding the 1995 Kobe earthquake has been criticized both nationally and internationally. Given the particular history of Japan in relation to earthquakes, and the resources that the government has allocated to the issue, the expectations regarding preparedness and crisis management were high. The Kobe disaster shed light on the numerous deficiencies in preparedness and response. (Kawata, 2006) Japan has a general frame work regarding earthquakes. The 1961 Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act provides the authority regarding the country’s disaster management, which includes disaster relief and recovery operations. A Central Disaster Prevention Council (CDPC) enables the hazard management facilitation and execution at the national level Japan also created another body that is the headquarters for disaster countermeasures (HDC). The agency is the immediate response to calamities and disaster. The Emergency Countermeasures Headquarters is a group created on January 19 as the authority which immediately responses to the meet three-months after the day of the disaster. The problem centered on the awareness and assessment and particularly in aid mobilization. The local area suffered from a disruption of communication, due to power outages and congestion, to the government. The officials tasked with locally managing the disaster where themselves victims to it. The delay in information dissemination meant that the central government could not commit the necessary resources to the area. Post disaster management is based on the awareness of the severity of the disaster, the areas and demographics affected and the problems at hand. The disruption in communications and transportation systems made forming an accurate assessment of the Kobe earthquake an impossible task. Rescuers had to deal with the loss of telephone, fax, and radio operations. They also had to cope with lack of back up power available for operations. Communication within and between agencies were so disrupted that no coordinated response could be mounted in the several hours following the impact. Also, agencies that were well prepared internally were incapable of coordinating with other organizations. Most of the organization responding to the calamity did not have sufficient coordination with each other and even with the government. (Johnson and Eguchi, 1995). Post disaster effects Iran being one of the countries that was struck with an intense earthquake has most of the disaster effects in its infrastructure and post disaster effects in the lives of the people. The earthquake recorded at a magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter scale on 5:28 am, thus many people were still asleep during that time. The city of Bam suffered most of the effects of the earthquake as most infrastructures and building made of mud brick collapsed and gave up on the height of the earthquake. Many people died due to the buildings’ destruction, some of them trapped, and some died not seeing a glimpse of the outside. Rescue and recovery missions were immediately held and most of the victims were pulled out from mud that has caused serious injuries even death to most of the people. Immediate medical and emergency response was also sent moments after the event. International relief and missions were accommodated with an open-sky policy that allowed them to enter the country and attend to the disaster immediately. The government admitted that help was needed as government resources can not accommodate the scale of the event. Even evacuated men helped in the recovery efforts to find possible life present under the mud. Others use their bare hands, or shovel. Temperature dropped after the disaster and evacuees were sleeping outdoors or sleeping tents provided by the post disaster efforts. The earthquake also caused walls of the local prison to collapse letting prisoners escape. Most of the post disaster effects were the medieval fortress of Bam’s citadel that were considered as the city’s most known structure. Although some of the citadel’s walls still stand, they were damaged by the earthquake. After the earthquake, the government of Japan imposed a 2 month moratorium on construction in order for the local government to be able to focus on planning. The Kobe earthquake highlighted several structural deficiencies in buildings which the Japanese government quickly sought to address. With the help of the engineering community, the government enacted new laws and procedures regarding the existing building code and design. Particular attention was given to the prevention of earthquake vulnerable materials and design. Improvement in building design and the use of adequate building materials, and hardware strength were incorporated. Interim construction quality inspection has been given priority and is a requirement for all new buildings. IN addition, all old buildings were inspected and given according treatment in regards to retrofits and renovations. The Japanese government has also reacted to the concern regarding the surprise surface rupture of the Nojima fault. The government saw the need to integrate the active crustily fault hazards into the national seismic risk assessment programs. An example of this is the major mapping project being undertaken by the Japanese government. This project encompasses all recent research into active faults as well as a background on unexplained seismic events. In 1995, the Hyogo Prefecture and the city of Kobe made plans regarding projects that prioritized that would restore and surpass the status of the areas before the earthquake. The plan called for rehabilitation as well as stabilization of the market economy. It aimed to restore the previous businesses affected by the disaster as well as to attract other potential investment in the area. (TIERNEY, K. J. & GOLTZ, J. D, 2006) The plan called for use of government funds to replant the entire area. Roads were widened as well as more priority was given to open spaces and other public facilities. This mass renovation resulted in relocation for those whose land was required. Demolishing of buildings damaged by the earthquake or deemed too dangerous for the general public was carried out as part of the general plan. Urban redevelopment projects were done via the relocation and purchase of large tracts of land. Constructed in the area was a mix of residential and commercial buildings. The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Fund, established in April 1995, is a special supplementary resource for the victims of the disaster. The fund enables the recovery, relief and reconstruction efforts from the disaster. Banks and other establishments provided long-term loans to the city, which in turn disseminated them to the public in the form of interest free long-term loans. To help stimulate individual rebuilding, the government eventually had to provide low-pay housing rent and reconstruction efforts and resource for the individual to be able to add proper floors against future earthquake disasters. The public housing were already given reconstruction efforts but will evidently result to unintended housing surplus that will take years. Over 169,000 housing was built in April 2001 in the City of Kobe, which surpassed the plan of the local government in 1995. Life after the Earthquake The Iranian government immediately began to plan to rebuild its cities with modern city planning theories after the earthquake. The government attributes this to the need of the country to eliminate the problems that had resulted to the tragedy of the people in the old city. Te development of the plans took the government almost six months which generated criticism against the central and local government. Currently, the city is still in the process of rebuilding its structures that were greatly destroyed by the earthquake. Infrastructures posed a serious threat long before the earthquake as the infrastructures were made of poor materials and ineffective building codes. Esfandiari (2004) The infrastructures itself is a threat to the lives of many during the disaster, because of the materials; the collapsed building enabled the trapped people to breathe in. The streets of Bam still are full of bricks and rubbles, but more is seen with the presence of life. Most schools were also reconstructed, and most shops have reopened. Many of the people were living in temporary and prefabricated houses. Others are still residing in tents located at the site where their houses once stood due to the ineffectiveness of the Iranian government to produce a master plan of the city. The process taken had been slow which made the society criticize the government for the slow pace of reconstruction. Included in the changes of the society is personal struggles and recovery from the trauma, depression and mourning of the lives lost during the disaster. Not only does the society need housing reconstruction support, but also psychological and emotional support for what happened. Several of the victim’s experiences sleep disorders and lack of execution of normal societal functions. This greatly disrupts their recovery process in bringing their lives back to normal. Esfandiari (2004) Japan immediately sprung back to its feet by progressive and immediate reconstruction of infrastructures affected by the earthquake. Japan improved their infrastructures with new materials and new techniques. Most of the people also resumed back to their normal life with the reconstruction of major highways and roads. Japan is fortunate than Iran in terms of resources thus they did not experience problems in executing immediately their reconstruction plans. Lessons from Japan Socioeconomic experts has given ample warning to the Iran government and society regarding the danger posed by earthquake and the country being in one of the most active seismic zones in the world. Almost 70 to 80 percent of the populated areas in the country of Iran are at stake. The significant effects brought by an earthquake disaster causes huge financial loses and social distress amongst other effects. Thus, there is a need for international operations to encourage domestic abilities and efforts regarding disaster management in Iran. There should also be focused on reinforcement of old and efficient buildings, establishment and adaptation of new and advanced technology for communication and databases within the state organizations and agency for efficient coordination. According to Iran Daily, during an interview of Japan’s Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Masayuki Kitamoto regarding what the country can learn from Japan’s disaster management procedures, the cause of the Bam earthquake reported a significant loss in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Iran, inflicting a irretrievable loss in economic opportunities. Kitamoto mentioned that earlier studies prior to the Bam earthquake in 1991 had indicated disaters such as flood, lightning, landslide and earthquake ranging between 5 and 7 on the Richter scale. Shokri (2004) The findings should have been noticed by the government and included in their disaster management plan. Consequently, compared to the Kobe earthquake figures of damages incurred of the earthquake, death toll, and economic loss, Iran has failed to take the lessons from the other countries that also have first hand experience with high seismic activities. The country should also have coordinated with other countries as exchange of information between countries prone to such disasters is very crucial to minimize losses inflicted by an earthquake disaster according to Kitamoto. To address this need of foraging lessons and exchange of experience between Japan and Iran, a joint workshop was conducted on September 26-28 2004 with 16 senior Japanese experts in crisis management with Iranian specialist. The event focused on analyzing the Kobe and Bam earthquake and studying what future actions should be taken to avoid repeating the same mistakes of Iran. The workshop stressed the need for Iran to create an independent organization for natural disasters as suggested by Japan. Iran should also take notice of the collection and integration of information that will become useful for them in improving their disaster management procedures. There should also be a focus on public information and education such as safety precaution measures before and after the disaster with emphasis on the children. It was also suggested to Iran that urban and rural districts should have a strong emergency system. (Shokri 2004) Conclusion Iran could get a few pointers from the way Japan handles earthquake disasters. Foremost in the list is the means of predicting earthquakes. Due to Iran’s lack of apparent resources and technology, its prediction system is inaccurate and inefficient. Japan’s history with earthquakes coupled with its technological and financial prowess has greatly improved its early warning system. Mapping of critical areas and danger zones would be useful given Iran’s situation. City and building planning could also see Japan as an example. Iran’s relative poverty to Japan means it is harder to control city populations and habitat management. Life line resources particularly water should also be given priority particularly in Iran’s already arid climate. Japan has seen to it that rehabilitation of areas hit with earthquakes avoids mistakes that may have happened and intended to surpass post quake productivity and status. Rehabilitation of hit areas in Iran should start as with Japan’s example, from planning, and then adequate construction methods. Japan’s emphasis on building design in relation to earthquakes has prevented maximum damage and improved safety during succeeding quakes. The emphasis on durable material as well as efficient building design has avoided additional casualties from fires and collapse. Japan’s forethought and analysis of events and factors regarding earthquakes as well as their systematic reaction to these factors have helped make Japan foremost in Earthquake management. Iran, facing the same threat would do well to learn from its Asian neighbor and attempt to adopt its protocols and procedures. REFERENCES (2005) The 1995 Kobe Earthquake :10 year retrospective. Risk Managements Solutions. (2006) Iran: Bam earthquake. Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. EMERSON, C. H. (2006) THE KOBE EARTHQUAKE: Assessing Your Risk GROUP, I. S. (2004) Earthquake Management in Iran. KAWATA, Y. Disaster Reduction Systems Developed After The 1995 Kobe Earthquake Disasters in Japan. TIERNEY, K. J. & GOLTZ, J. D. Emergency Response: Lessons Learned from the Kobe Earthquake. (2004) Shokri, Farzaneh, Lessons from Japan: the Iran Daily (2004) Esfandiari, Golnaz. Iran: One Year after Quake, Bam Residents Rebuilding, But Psychological Scars Run Deep Read More