Mitigation and risk reduction - Essay Example

Mitigation and Risk Reduction (Japan) of School Mitigation and Risk Reduction Introduction Disasters canstrike virtually anywhere and anytime. Many factors can contribute to a disaster from being something manageable to something much worse if the concerned authorities fail to take mitigation measures. A changed climate, high population density, poverty, illiteracy, inadequate preparations and building communities in unstable land (such as on steep hillsides) can greatly contribute to a disaster made worse.

Most disasters are due to natural calamities such as earthquakes, typhoons, landslides, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods and pest infestations (locust, rats, worms, etc.) can cause massive destruction if one is not prepared. This paper deals with the disaster mitigations in the country of Japan which is considered as one of the most technologically-advanced and most-prepared nations in the world today. The world has seen the triple horrors of the strong earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis it currently faces.

Discussion There are many ways to mitigate the adverse effects of a disaster if and when it strikes. A few of these measures include laws on zoning ordinances and strict building codes. We can see that in Japan, these were mostly followed because most tall buildings in Japan were built on solid ground and further, were designed and constructed to withstand strong earthquakes. A 9.0 strong earthquake that hit the country last March 11 showed its high level of preparations and a building code that was implemented properly because very few buildings toppled during the earthquake.

It can be said that most of the casualties were the result of the subsequent tsunami that hit eastern parts of Japan facing the Pacific Ocean. The local population is also very well informed. The relatively small number of deaths (as compared to the December 2004 tsunami that reached 250,000 dead or missing) is a testament to this meticulous preparation by the Japanese. The local population had performed several disaster drills before and those who got killed either had ignored the warning sirens or were caught flat-footed by the speed of the tsunami’s arrival.

Many communities had Incident Command Systems (ICS) in place but the sheer destruction of the huge waves wiped out many of the crucial people involved in these ICS. Japan is located within Pacific’s “Ring of Fire” of active volcanoes and earthquake faults; it is fully cognizant of these dangers with the country experiencing almost daily earthquakes and 10% of the world’s active volcanoes are located in Japan. This country has one of the strictest of seismic codes anywhere in the world (FEMA, 1998, p. 176) and no major damage to structures were observed due to the extensive use of reinforced concrete.

This country’s mitigation efforts are helped in a big part by its strong culture of conformity, in which selflessness, discipline and a strong of sense civility and stoicism in the face of great adversity (Kristof, 2011, p. 1). Conclusion The Japanese people, its government and the entire bureaucracy is well prepared in these types of natural disasters. However, there is one aspect in which it failed miserably and this is in the political criteria based on the FEMA guidelines. Many people, even the Japanese themselves, are not aware that government regulators extended for ten years the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants a month before the earthquake struck (Tabuchi, Onishi & Belson, 2011, p. 1). Regulators had originally cited poor quality of maintenance management but agreed to an extension because of the country’s need for energy and public opposition to constructing new nuclear plants.

Many say Japan’s government is incompetent and duplicitous when it comes to its energy needs. References Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA (1998). Promoting the Adoption and Enforcement of Seismic Building Codes: A Guidebook for State Earthquake and Mitigation Managers. Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA: University of Illinois Press. Kristof, N. D. (2011, March 19). The Japanese Could Teach Us a Thing or Two. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20kristof.html?scp=3&sq=Japanese%20earthquake,%20discipline&st=cse Tabuchi, H.

, Onishi, N. & Belson, K. (2011, March 21). Japan Extended Reactor’s Life, Despite Warning. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/world/asia/22nuclear.html?_r=1&ref=global-home