Intervention Strategies and Assessment for Disasters in Japan - Essay Example

TOPIC: INTERVENTION STRATEGIES AND ASSESSMENT FOR DISASTERS IN JAPAN AND PROPOSED WAYS TO DEAL WITH ASSOCIATED DIFFICULTIES Aim To analyze the current remedies taken for natural disasters in Japan and on the basis of the analyzed situation provide a proposition as how to deal with the difficulties. Objectives Analyze the current situation in Japan related to natural hazards. To identify the intervention strategies and assessment methods used in Japan for disaster management. To discuss the major measures adopted for managing the disasters. Identify the variables important to be examined for reducing the loss that takes place due to occurrence of an environmental hazard. Literature Review Weichselgartner (2001) explained that being unable to get the real underlying principles related to natural hazards is one of the major barriers in managing the consequences that follows those natural disasters. The way we look at the natural disasters is very important as it will influence the way we look for the solution and will determine the ways as to how me can achieve those solution. In this article the author suggested that most researchers work on risk assessment but vulnerability can prove to help finding the context and this will in turn reduce the losses that take place due to natural hazards. Vulnerability is envisaged as both a biophysical hazard and a social response which is specific to a geographical domain. According to Brillinger (2003) risk analysis can be defined as a way which is used for estimating the probabilities of some rare events and the magnitudes of damage that comes along with them. The papers considered risk analysis of different natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and wildfires. Risk can be defined as probability that some hazardous event or catastrophe can occur. Statistical methods are the basic ways to assess risk and used for the computation of insurance premiums as well. These methods are favourable as they use probabilities and data which can help in risk management. McEntire (2005) discussed the positive and negative aspects related to different views about the disasters and he suggested that the concept of vulnerability can be used for finding for academia and make policy guidance for different professionals in different fields especially for the natural hazards. Paton (2007) worked and examined the relationship between people and sources of information that provide information which can influence people’s perception about the hazard/ disaster preparedness. To analyze this relationship between trust and the hazard preparedness a regression analysis was conducted. The study showed that there exists a relationship between people and the community services/civic agencies and the information they provide is very important and should be a part in planning risk communication. Strömberg (2007) examined and suggested that societal factors affect and place an important impact on disasters. This papers takes into account many of the natural disasters taking place that includes volcanoes, floods, tsunami as to where they take place and what their development with the period of time. Then this paper discusses that how come societal factors act in favour of people by protecting them or exposing them to natural disasters. When a disaster is more severe the more is the international relief for that natural disaster and this relief is even more when the income of the country being affected is even lower. News coverage also a part drives the relief for disaster. The countries providing the help and are the donors even provide more help if they share some boundaries/ borders or some common language with the affected countries. Approaches According to Ajami & Fattahi (2009) examined that whether earthquake information management system (EIMS) can work in Japan. In Japan a decentralized EIMS system is being used. This EIMS in Japan is known as ‘The Phoenix’. There is Japan Metreological Agency (JMA), this government organization is known to be responsible for issuing and providing information that is related to earthquakes and providing tsunami forecasts. They also developed an early earthquake notification system in Japan. JMA has established an advanced nationwide seismic network that consist of about 180 stations for seismic wave observation and there are about 3,400 stations for instrumental seismic intensity observation, including about 2,800 seismic intensity stations maintained by local governments. Country Profile According to BBC country profile, Japan is the world’s second largest economy, with a population of around 126.9 million. The ethnic groups present in the country are mostly minor was there are almost 98.5% Japanese, 0.5% Koreans, 0.4%, Chinese and 0.6% others. .Almost 20% of the earthquakes of the world occurs in Japan. The government is already setting targets so to reduce the number of human life damages and minimize the economic damage. According to the world CIA fact book location of Japan is an Island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan, Eastern Asia. The climate of Japan is primarily temperate as it varies greatly from north to south. It’s tropical in the south and cool in the north. The country has a GDP per capita of $32,700 estimated in 2009. 76.5% contribution in the GDP is being done by the services sector. Japan is one of the largest and most technological producers of motor vehicles, most of the electronic equipment, machine equipments and tools, ships, textiles and processed food. The main modes of transportation used in the country are by air, road, railway and sea. But the most commonly used way for transportation is by using roadways. The country with 1.2 million kilometres of paved road is the main means of transportation. Japans broadcasting; media is very advance and vibrant, with well established public and commercial outlets competing for audiences. Almost around 99 million people have an online presence as of year 2010. In Japan Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was the main party with power for much of the countrys post-war history. This party was overthrown in 2009 by the Democratic Party. Business groups and the trade unions also enjoy political power as they are the political pressure groups and leaders. Japan’s Country Situation In Terms Of Hazards Japan faces a number of natural disasters which includes earthquakes at the top of the list. Other than earthquakes tsunami, volcanoes and typhoons are also part of the national hazards. According to the U.S Geographical survey, in the year 2010 there were two major earthquakes in the country one with a magnitude of 6.5 near the East coast of Honshu and the other one with a magnitude of 7.0 in the Ryukyu Islands. According to CIA fact book, the country has many dormant and active volcanoes. There are around 1,500 seismic occurrences mostly in the form of tremors every year. The country two major volcanoes that are very important to be studied are Unzen and Sakura-Jima also named as ‘Decade Volcanoes’. Both are located near very populated city of Kagoshima and are their close proximity with the human population makes them deadly. Proposed Approach To Developing An Intervention Strategy Japan being the centre of many volcanoes needs to work on a proper system that will minimize the damages in case of earthquakes. The disaster prevention program should take into account some policies and programs that are designed to prevent the disasters to take place again and all the long term aspects of these disasters should be analyzed deeply. The need to look into the future is important as people due to the rising population levels are moving towards areas which are in close proximity to the natural disaster regions. The need is to make a system design that not only takes the technological aspects into consideration but also the societal measures which includes the economy and the political control as well. Work for disaster management not only for mitigation. Assuming the complexities that comes along the natural disaster the need to create proper awareness among people so that the whole society is prepare and know what they can do in case of such event which will minimize the losses. The government if not taking measures with respect to community will only be able to predict and forecast the damage and occurrence of earthquake and wont be able to control any damage will which come along with it. Environmental measures are also to be given prime importance. The ozone layer, the earth movements getting affected by water levels and many other things that can influence a natural disaster requires to be more thoroughly observed and measure need to be taken to implement them and make people more aware related to all aspects. READING LIST Crisis intervention strategies. Richard K. James (2008). Cengage learning. Natural Disasters in Japan: Winter Storms of 2009-2010 in East Asia, 1888 Eruption of Mount Bandai. Books, LLC General Books(2010) International perspectives on natural disasters: occurrence, mitigation, and consequences by Joseph P. Stoltman, John Lidstone, Lisa M. Dechan.( 2004) Japan in the 21st century: environment, economy, and society by Pradyumna Prasad Karan. University Press of Kentucky(2005). Natural disaster risk management and financing disaster losses in developing countries by Reinhard Mechler (2004) Verlag Versicherungswirtsch. Macroeconomic risk management against natural disasters: analysis focussed on governments in developing countries by Stefan Hochrainer (2006) DUV. Mark Pellinga, Alpaslan Özerdemb and Sultan Barakatb (2002). The macro-economic impact of disasters. Progress in Development Studies 2,4 pp. 283–305 Disaster Management and Civil Society: Earthquake Relief in Japan, Turkey and India (International Library of Postwar Reconstruction and Development by Alpaslan Özerdem, Tim Jacoby ( 2006). .I.B.Tauris Reference List BBC (2010). Japan Country Profile. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1258586.stm. Accessed at 27 November 2010. Central intelligence agency (2010). The World Fact book – Japan. Available from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html. Accessed at 27 November 2010. Douglas Paton (2007). Preparing for natural hazards: the role of community trust. Disaster Prevention and Management Vol. 16 No. 3. School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia. U.S geographical Survey. Earthquake Hazard programs. Available at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/. Juergen Weichselgartner (2001).Disaster mitigation: the concept of vulnerability revisited. Disaster Prevention and Management Volume 10. Number 2. pp. 85- 94 David A. McEntire (2005). Why vulnerability matters Exploring the merit of an inclusive disaster reduction concept. Disaster Prevention and Management Vol. 14 No. 2. David R. Brillinger (2003). Three Environmental Probabilistic Risk Problems. Statistical Science Vol. 18, No. 4, 412-421 Sima Ajami & Mahshid Fattahi (2009) .The role of earthquake information management systems (EIMSs) in reducing destruction. A comparative study of Japan, Turkey and Iran. Disaster Prevention and Management Vol. 18 No. 2, 2009 pp. 150-161. David Strömberg (2007). Natural Disasters, Economic Development, and Humanitarian Aid. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 199-222. Read More