Learning from Megadisasters: Lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract

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Assessment of Designers’ Perception of Post Conflict Housing Schemes for Internally Displaced Persons

“…It is worthy to note some success schemes of the post-disaster housing projects. For example, in Japan, the stakeholders involved in the rebuilding process ensured that there was adequate community participation, there was specific budgetary provisions and clear construction schedules (Ranghieri and Ishiwatari, 2014). In Bam, enablers of the PDHS include adequate monitoring and control systems were put in place and there were different design choices that the displaced persons could choose (Gharaati and Davidson, 2008).…”

The Earthquake Disaster Risk in Japan and Iran and the Necessity of Dynamic Learning from Large Earthquake Disasters over Time

“…For instance, updates took place after Tokachi-oki in 1968, after Miyagi 1978, Kobe 1990, Niigata Chuetsu 2004. The amendment of the Building Standards Law in 1981 was particularly important because it offered the introduction of current earthquake engineering laws [15,16]. Since 1960, the day of 1st September (the day when the Great Kanto Earthquake and a typhoon occurred) was designated as the "Disaster Prevention Day" in Japan.…”

“…The nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were seriously affected and uncontrolled radiation was spread in the atmosphere, water and land [17]. The number of dead people reached 20,000, but the death and destruction from the Tohoku earthquake itself was much less than previous earthquakes, because of learning from previous earthquake disasters and progress of earthquake disaster preparedness and earthquake disaster risk management [16]. Nevertheless, the magnitude of this earthquake exceeded the hazard level of any earthquake in Japan ever considered for earthquake disaster risk management and emphasized that Japan needs to be prepared for the worst scenario of hazard and disaster.…”

“…Nevertheless, the magnitude of this earthquake exceeded the hazard level of any earthquake in Japan ever considered for earthquake disaster risk management and emphasized that Japan needs to be prepared for the worst scenario of hazard and disaster. "Prepare for the worst case" was recommended in Japan ( [16], p. 231).…”

“…JSDF reached to 107,000 people; they were fully equipped and deployed operations with 540 aircrafts and 60 vessels. They rescued 19,000 disaster victims -almost 70% of the people rescued in the cascading Tohoku disaster [16]. Dasht-e Bayaz earthquake with M w 7.1 occurred on 31 August 1968 in an arid area of the eastern part of Iran.…”