Opening Remarks
forSeminar on Disaster Waste Management（Special Session of G7 Alliance Workshop in Yokohama）

February 22, 2016

Tokuya WADA
DirectorWaste Management Division
Waste Management and Recycling Department
Ministry of the Environment, Japan1-1

250200

 The number of disasters
Earthquake
has increased rapidly in theFloodpast 50 years .
StormDrought In particular, flood disaster
Epidemic
occurred frequently
Other types
compared with others.

150
100500

2010
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
1945
1940
1935
1930
1925
1920
1915
1910
1905
1900

Number of disasters per disaster typeThe frequent occurrence and aggravation of natural disastersYearsource：Center for research on the Epidemiology of Disaster -CRED

200150AfricaAmericas
Asia
EuropeOceania

100

500

 The number of disasters ineach region has also
increased rapidly in thepast 50 years.
 This increase stands out in
Asian region.

2010
2005
2000
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
1945
1940
1935
1930
1925
1920
1915
1910
1905
1900

Number of disasters per disaster type

Trends in the number of disaster (by type)Yearsource：Center for research on the Epidemiology of Disaster -CRED

Trends in the number of disaster (by region)

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The Great East Japan Earthquake
Date and time of occurrence: March 11, 2011, 14:46
Epicenter: Off the coast of Sanriku
Depth of the focus: 24km
Scale: magnitude 9.0
Human suffering:approx. 18 thousand fatalities,approx. 3 thousand people missing
Damage to buildings:
approx. 129 thousand completely destroyed,approx. 270 thousand half destroyed,approx. 760 thousand partially damaged

In the Great East Japan Earthquake massive
amounts of disaster waste were generated.
 About 20 million tons of disaster waste(239 municipal governments in 13 prefectures) About 11 million tons of tsunami deposits(36 municipal governments in 6 prefectures)

We could dispose them in three years, andrecycle more than 80% of disaster wastes
and most of tsunami deposits, minimizing
additional amount of resource consumption
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and final land-filling.

Lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake
In light of the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake, “issues” and “policy & measures”
to be strengthened in preparation for disasters are as follows:〔Issue 1〕 Preparation to realize the smooth and rapid response (policy andsystem) was insufficient.
〔Policy & measures〕
 To strengthen the functions of the national
government
 To clarify the roles among the national
government, local governments and private
sector, and to work systematically during
peacetime in order to be able to proactively
respond and straggle together in close nationwide cooperation after the quake.

＜Independent mind＞
Promotion ofproactive response of
public and private
entities
Strengthening
Strengtheningof regional
cooperation
collaboration
among entities＜Regional Support＞ ＜Cooperation＞
Toward achieving a smooth and rapid handling〔Issue 2〕 The guidelines and mechanisms aiming at ensuring the proper
treatment were insufficient.
〔Policy & measures〕
 To ensure recycling and proper disposal of the wastes after large-scale disasters
 To develop mechanisms which could respond to any disaster scale from normal tolarge in appropriate manner.

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The Outline of Partial Revision of Waste Management Act and Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act(Enforcement on Aug 6, 2015)

Revision of Waste Management Act

Revision of Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act

Strengthening thepreparedness
during peacetime

Special measurespertaining to theconstruction oroperation of waste
disposal facilitiesafter the disaster

Master plan forthe disposal of
the waste inlarge-scaledisaster

The proxymeasures of waste
treatment by
Minister of theEnvironment

 Clarify the basic principles
of disaster waste dispoal

In order to achieve rapid
installation of temporary
treatment facilities and flexible
use of existing disposal facilities
after the disaster, the following
revision was brought in:

In order to strengthen themeasures to large-scaledisasters, Minister of theEnvironment defines basic
policy as a master plan for
waste disposal in case of thegovernment-designateddisaster (the Large- scaledisaster).

After the occurrence of thegovernment-designateddisaster Minister of theEnvironment is authorized todispose waste on the request
basis on behalf of the local
governments which havedifficulty in smooth and rapid
waste disposal despite
application of existing special
measures that can ease theprocessing standards in adesignated areas for a certainperiod.

 Clarify the responsibilities
of coordination andcooperation among
stakeholders such as thenational government, local
governments and private
sector.
 Enhance the provisions on
the basic policies which thenational government
defines and the basic plans
which prefectural stipulate.

 Simplify the procedure ofinstallation of municipal solid
waste treatment facilities
installed by municipalities andthose who have been
entrusted to dispose disaster
wastes by municipalities
 Easing the restriction in case ofusing industrial waste disposal
facilities, permitting thenotification after the fact (notin advance)

1-5Support of disaster waste management in Nepal by MOEJ
Japan's efforts and the experience, especially recycling after the Great East
Japan Earthquake is very useful.
Nepal and UNEP requested technical assistance to Japan for establishing the disaster
waste management guideline (disposing disaster wastes and recycling bricks fromthe damaged houses and buildings).

【Flow of Waste Disposal】
Disaster
waste

Sort, Crush,
Incineration

RecycleLandfillEx. Disaster waste management guideline

Ministry of the Environment, Japan will play an active international contribution incooperation with UNEP and JICA etc. in the field of disaster waste measures.
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