Japan March 2011 Tsunami and Earthquake - Case Study Example

JAPAN MARCH TSUNAMI AND EARTHQUAKE By Location Introduction The historical earthquake and Tsunami that hit Japan’s Northeast coast severed most of the nation’s power producing facilities. Expert surveys indicate that the earthquake hit the land at a magnitude of 8.5 and gradually increased to 9% causing unwarranted destruction to the areas’ properties. Further, the earthquake stirred a Tsunami that rose up to 30 ft above the sea level and extended to the vulnerable region at a speed of 484km/hr. The authorities tried to declare a warning to the regions’ inhabitants and general occupants on an oncoming Tsunami moment after the earthquake, but most of the area’s residents have fallen victims since the expected catastrophe hit the land in a span of an hour’s time (Birmingham and McNeill 2012, p. 24). Notably, the situation led to the destruction of over 30 nuclear plants, 12 electricity producing power plants, manufacturing plants, and households amongst others. The following is a disaster and risk management approach asserted as a review to establish the key environmental concerns posed by the situation and the lessons assorted for physical, environmental planning, and environmental designs for disaster prone areas. The key population and built environment vulnerabilities It is evident that the Northeast side of the country held the most industrialised cities of Honshu and Tokyo. These habitats hold a human population of over 10 million people. The area further holds power producing plants and nuclear reactors serviceable to the country’s power needs vital for the 30% of the total capacity required (Relations 2011, p. 61). Research indicates that Tokyo and Honshu are built in a disaster prone environment, citing the fact to the untimely earthquakes and rapid Tsunami’s, which emanate from the Pacific Ocean. According to geological surveys, the area is vulnerable to the highlighted disasters due to the terrain and profile (Shaw and Takeuchi 2012, p. 20). Despite the fact that the country’s architectures boast over the surety that the buildings are capable of withstanding the threat of strong storms, the area remained vulnerable to the threat of liquefaction prior to the storms. Historical findings assert that the industrial cities of the Northeast area of Japan are built in a sandy environment that cannot withstand the threat of these natural tremors. Further, the areas have in the past experienced similar tremors, earthquakes, and reduced Tsunamis. Therefore, meteorological and scientific research organisations were knowledgeable of the situation prior to the erection of the power plants, nuclear reactors, and offshore residential buildings (Lennquist 2012, p. 90). Japan’s Northeast region was vulnerable to the disastrous occurrence holding to the fact that the 53 nuclear reactors in Fukushima and Tokyo were elevated within a range of 5km offshore of the Pacific Ocean. According to historical findings, the nation is knowledgeable of the imminent emergence of earthquakes originating from the pacific region (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2011, p. 140). Therefore, the area’s population existed amid the danger of tremors and Tsunamis. Secondly, the erection of nuclear reactors and other power producing utilities in the region was an added threat to the environmental disasters. Arguably, the norm is that the environmental concerns were imminent due to the radioactive emissions that would emanate from the nuclear plants in case of an accident. The nation stood vulnerable to threat of water contamination, and destruction of flora and fauna in the event of radioactive release to the environment (Mambretti 2013, p. 31). The range of actors and organisations involved in the processes Research reveals that many global organisations acted promptly upon the occurrence of the disaster. Notably, Japan’s Peoples Forces acted in the event of the Tsunami disaster. For instance, the government deployed 50,000 military personnel in the second day of the disaster, a number that was adequate to reassure the country of a guaranteed approach to the rescue mission. This strenuous exercise further needed extra facilities to make sure that they acquired successful outcomes. The government deployed 190 helicopters to the mission to assist in the evacuation process (Senauth 2011, p. 55). Secondly, these helicopters were also serviceable in pumping water into the reactors’ in order to reduce the risks of explosion and meltdown. Other organisations that were of importance to the process of containing the disaster were Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and Japan’s Nuclear Emergency Response. These two organisations served in monitoring the processes of the nuclear reactors and the power plants. They served as a vital solution to the country’s radioactive threat that was to emanate from any explosions in the plants. Coincidentally, the two organisations collaborated with the power producing utilities in the process and were able to ascertain the adequate actions that they were to do in the event of a meltdown or explosion. In addition to the contributions, the organisations updated the nation on any developments in the facilities such that the country would bear the ability to prepare and contain any further threats (Chock et al 2013, p. 66). The U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission played an incremental role during the event as it notified the congress and the global society on the turns of events in the disaster as a way of yielding political and economic support to mean the situation. The findings are that humanitarian organisations affiliated to the United Nations were in the forefront to rescue the residents and workers from the disaster prone areas. Red Cross served as an iconic organisation as it provided shelter and other necessities while still amassing funds from the global society to ensure that the affected groups did not face lengthened plights after the ordeal. Lastly, the International Events Scale played a vital role in monitoring any other threats that would possibly emanate from the continued earthquakes in the region (Cárdenas-Jirón 2013, p. 45). Through such approaches, the country’s safety procedures were able to yield successful outcomes since the authorities were able to evacuate residents beyond the danger-prone territories. The methodologies and processes involved, especially management and government processes The International Events Scale served as a methodological resolution to all the processes since it monitored the weather and climatic conditions of the Pacific region, a step that was endeared to amass information about the changes in the earthquakes. These processes were incremental to the rescue since the organisation would notify the rescue teams on the changes prior to their occurrence. Arguably, the step enabled other international organisations to maintain increased safety standards in their rescue and maintenance expeditions (Joseph 2011, p. 25). Holding to the fact that the 2011 Tsunami has been the fourth largest in Japan’s history since the beginning of the 20th century, the country’s administration understood the nature of the disaster and were quick to note that this event bore more threats to the country unlike the previous ones. It is knowledgeable that the Japanese government executed all its services in the event at its utmost capacity (Khan 2013, p. 91). The administrative section was salient to ensuring that peace prevailed in the society through its informative approaches to update its citizens on the changes born by the situation. Further, the deployed military personnel acted promptly in containing the situation since they established their prowess in the evacuation process and inserting controllable measures in the threatened nuclear reactor facilities (Ewing et al 2013, p. 40). Given that 15,884 people succumbed to the disaster, the government played an additional role of collecting the bodies of the deceased and identifying them and acquainting proper rites. The process was a success through the incorporation of other governmental and non-governmental organisations in serving towards ascertaining a common goal (Luke and Karashima 2012, p. 90). All the organisations affiliated to the safety controls and monitoring of the nuclear plants engaged in surveys to ascertain the extent at which the nuclear situation would be a threat to the Japanese society and within what range would this restrain the community from achieving its objectives in the end. The nation’s Japan Nuclear Emergency Response aided emergency rescue organisations with adequate information concerning the events occurring in the field. This administrative resolution served to ensure that the humanitarian services were delivered at the places they were required promptly (Joseph 2011, p. 54). This approach was also a safety procedure through the use of satellites the society was able to ascertain that the process of implementing resourceful help in the affected regions was fast and safe. The primary information, data requirements, and their redress The Tsunami occurrence was a threat to the Japanese social and economic welfare. Further, the disaster maimed the political significance of some leaders in the society, thus; some of the implemented resolutions targeted to implement changes in the area. Honshu and Tokyo suffered intensely from a 30 feet Tsunami that swept across the citys manufacturing plants and residential places at a speed of 15.2. According to sources, the country was knowledgeable of the concurrence of the earthquakes after the Tsunami, but the established rescue operations were more of deterrence over a remedy since they were to serve in the rescue and sustenance operations. This factor led to the death of over 15,884 people. Intensive evaluations into the processes engaged in the Tsunami imply that the nation was capable of controlling the 54 nuclear reactors from exploding if they would be precisely in implementing stringent rules and regulations pertaining to disaster management. This strenuous exercise was to be achieved successfully through the inclusion of numerous groups of personnel with different fields of specialization despite the threat of other moderate earthquakes in the region. It is evident that the nation engaged a group of 15,000 military personnel in the operation despite the region holding a population of over 10,000,000 people (Penna and Rivers 2013, p. 71). Indications are that the government announced a state of emergency to the affected population after the threat of explosion and radioactive emissions from one of the three Fukushima Daiichi’s nuclear plants. This served as a restraint to achieving success in the operations, citing to the fact that the population held indoors would suffer severely or even face death in case of another earthquake. The meteorological organisation sent a warning about the Tsunami citing its strike at a limited time of one hour, and it seems that the government ignored the message since if this message was put into concern; most of the affected population would have sought safety before. The amassed data reveals that a 9.5 magnitude earthquake hit Honshu moments after the explosion of six of the 53 nuclear reactors. This affected the country and the number of households that suffered from the disaster rose to 10,000,000. The objectives, standards, and good practices that the country should aim to achieve Citing to the fact that the country held vital information from reaching the international community, it is of importance for the administration to learn that natural calamities pose danger to the global society thus; any danger in any country affects each society either directly or indirectly. The Japanese government should abide to asserting all remedies and sourcing for extra facilities from the global society in case the disaster concurs on a future unprecedented date (Hawkins 2012, p. 90). Such an approach shall serve as a sustainable resolution to the life threatening disasters since the rescue and monitoring organisations shall be certain of their obligations in controlling and containing the situation. Secondly, it would of abundant resources for the Japanese society if they would engage in a shift operation to ensure that the nuclear and power producing facilities situated at the sea show would belong to different environments, which are less prone to the threat of earthquakes and Tsunamis. The resolution shall be advantageous to the society since it would limit the threat of explosion and release of poisonous radioactive emissions to the environment. The study reveals that the Tsunami led to overheating of the reactors thus; most of the people held no appropriate other than suffering from the consequences posed by the radioactive substance in the organisations. On a different account, researches indicate the vulnerability of the environment to natural calamities thus; Japan’s resolution to erect nuclear producing facilities should be avoided extensively. After establishing these objectives, Japan shall rest assured of competence in containing the threats posed the natural disasters. Scientific researches should also be intensified to accrue other beneficial solutions to operating the situation from posing intense dangers to the society. The main barriers to the achieving the asserted objectives, and the key opportunities and constraints on the processes with a review of the imminent gaps and fault lines The city of Tokyo and its environs is vulnerable to natural calamities citing from the concurrent cyclones and earthquakes that emanate from the core of the Pacific ring. Further, the nation’s complicated political platform threatens the implementation of abundant resolutions. For instance, the administration shall focus on the economic consequences of the shifts in the nuclear plants rather the safety that such shifts would bring as a remedy to the Northeast Japanese inhabitants. Arguably, the objective is the most appropriate despite the lack of support since in the event of earthquakes and Tsunamis, the population will not face the threat of radioactive materials citing to the fact that the reactors will not face the dangers thus they will not explode or melt. In resolution to the amassed constraints, the nation’s citizens may engage the democratic government in implementing resolutions to the situation by voting for changes in the constitution towards the implementation of appropriate rescue procedures. Further, the country’s media have the mandate to monitor the situation and engage the society on the occurrences born to the event thus; they will be acting in accordance with the law by providing information on a transparent platform. Conclusion The opportunities underlying to such approaches are that Japan stands better chances of intersecting and overcoming future threats of the Tsunami if the administration would ensure that each of the region’s inhabitants is knowledgeable about the actions to take in case a disaster occurs. In conclusion, Japan should assert constitutional democracy and engage the international community in matters that are beyond its control. In the long run, the country’s Northeast region will be inhabitable without the threat of natural disasters if the country is to engage all its rescue and monitoring organisations in achieving common objectives. Bibliography Birmingham, L and McNeill, D 2012, Strong in the rain, Surviving Japans earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear disaster, New York, Palgrave Macmillan. Cárdenas-Jirón, L A 2013, The Chilean Earthquake and Tsunami 2010, A multidisciplinary study of Mw8.8, Maule, Southampton, WIT Press. 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