10th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

Mitigation of the natural disaster by the personal disaster prevention map
Takahiko KONNO(1), Shirou MORIYA(2), Hideyuki KUROZUMI(3),Toshiyuki NAKASATO(4), Ryoki TAKITA(5) , Tadaaki HONDA(3), Kazuo SATO(3)(1) Geo Planning Inc., Japan
E-mail: k9744@geo-pln.com(2) Advanced Total Solutions Co., Ltd., (3) NPO Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Support Center,(4)Geo-Techno Nakasato Industry Co., Ltd., (5) Sankyo technical engineer Co., Ltd.

Abstract
Sediment disasters and floods increase due to the frequent occurrence of the heavy
rainfall recently. The measures with the structure such as the barrier preventing landslidewere predominant over natural disaster once. However, the measures for evacuation areplaying an important role for occurrence of the damage more than the assumption. The
disaster prevention map is necessary for such a soft countermeasure. Particularly local
detailed information is important to an evacuation plan.
The engineering geology can provide useful information for natural disasters. In otherwords, we are able to inform people about the factors of natural disaster such as topography
and geology. We have technical knowledge of the natural disaster and studied the disaster fora long time. To integrate knowledge with experience is a positive shortcut to disasterprevention and mitigation. We find the essence of the natural hazards and must inform
people about the risk. It is the first step to reconfirm an area with one's foot and eyes toconvert the knowledge into an action. The disaster prevention map of the wide area has been
distributed by the local government, of course. However, the people cannot obtain the local
detailed information from this map. In Sendai, we supported making a disaster prevention
maps in a neighborhood association, residents’ association and an elementary school. Also
we provided an evacuation route map to the welfare institution in Ishinomaki.
Thepurpose of a local disaster prevention map is to save life of people and his family. Because
many people make a personal map, local information is obtained in a variety point of view.
We want to introduce some of case study. We hope that our practices help the action for
mitigation of the natural disaster by the engineering geologists.

Keywords: natural disaster, disaster prevention map, neighbor association, elementary school
1.

Group for Active Faults of Japan, 1991). Because
less plains are suitable for residential, we forced to
select coastal plain and alluvial fan or developed land
for residential area. Where such conditions, it isnecessary to know the regional characteristics andprepare to the natural disasters. In other words, there
will be lurked natural hazards such as a liquefactionof soft sandy ground in the coastal plain, a debris
flow in the alluvial fan and a differential settlement ina valley embankment of the developed land. In recent
years, many houses have been built ignoring theterrain and ground conditions. Therefore, houses tosuffer from an earthquake and a heavy rain increased.
We explored how we could explain this information

Introduction

Recently, the trend of large rainfall in a shortperiod of time has increased (JMA, 2007). With this,the sediment disasters such as landslides and debris
flow tend to increase. (the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transportation, 2014a).
Since
the Tohoku region Pacific Ocean earthquake ofMarch 11, 2011, aftershock activity has been
continued. And earthquake has occurred in various
parts of Japan. As is well known, the geologicalstructure of the Japanese islands is complex, andmany active faults are distributed (The Research110th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

to people as a specialist of the ground. If people willrecognize accurately the information of the groundwhere they live in, it leads to disaster mitigation,and victim approaches zero. Aiming to this, welaunched the NPO Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Support Center, and have been active.
For natural disasters, there are two mitigation
methods. One is measures by construction, and theother is evacuation. Here, we think about how toescape by using the disaster prevention map. There isa disaster prevention map for various natural disasters.
For example, flood prediction map, landslides hazard
map and liquefaction prediction map shows the prone
area. Local government creates a disaster prevention
map of wide area. And it has been opened to the
public (the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransportation, 2014b). This map also provides
information about the government agencies, hospitals,
police, fire department and shelter, in addition to thehazard. Government agencies manage theadministrative area across a wide area. Therefore
hazard map for wide area is conveniently to grasp thewhole city area. However, in the scene that local
people actually use, it is difficult to obtain
information on familiar hazards. In other words, thewide area disaster map are not described detailed
information such as a flooding of heavy rainfall, a
dangerous place on the earthquake and a temporarily
evacuation area.
Geological engineers explored in the field andfill in the geological information to topographic map.
Its accuracy is affected by a scale of topographic map.
We can display clearly to everyone by charting
information. This approach can be applied to makepersonal disaster prevention map (we call it My map),and it helps to grasp the display of familiar hazard.
By using this technique, we describe the hazard forthe individuals and our families, which can create amap to plan the temporary evacuation place. In thedisaster prevention map to open to the public, it isnecessary to consider the individual's privacy. The
map you want to personally use to make personallythese considerations is not required. In addition,
hazards are each different due to such as adults andchildren, men and women, occupation, gender andages. Disaster prevention map of individuals would
be to re-confirm the safe of location you live withyourself and your family.
2.

mapping is important, we explain geological history,
underground structure, change of the land use andorigin of the name of land to the participants.
Furthermore, the lecture will address the vulnerabilityof natural disasters in the area, and explain themechanism and characters of disaster. For this reason,
we make a leaflet about the terrain, the ground andland use in the area. Then, we explain about the
recent topic of natural disaster occurs in the area.
Finally, in actual field work, participants survey thehazards at the natural disaster by using his
imagination, and also survey a safe haven, forexample, useful vacant land and shops after a disasteroccurs. Through such work, the participants will
discuss and exchange information each other. In aroom, they compile the data of the investigation by acolor, encoding and comments in a drawing. The
compiling map is more understandable if photos are
pasted on this map. Based on this map, they have a
discussion of a variety of hazards, an evacuationroute and a contact way to family. In addition, local
information about the past affected areas andevacuation will be obtained by communicating to thepeople who have surveyed together. They present it
in front of a participant as a result of contents anddiscussion of the map which they summarized. Thisis the extraction of a local problem and suggestion of
the solutions. From this, it has led to the concretemeasures in the neighborhood association.
We enumerate the three stages of the map
making mentioned above as follows.
2.1 1st Lecture Contents
A. Geology and historical natural hazards aroundthe area especially earthquake
B. Evolution and transition of geohazards in area
C. The safe evacuation considering from terrain anda foundation
D. How to make disaster prevention map (My Map)
E. Question-and-answer session
2.2 2nd Fieldwork
F. Explanation how to make My map
G. Map making in the field (Survey)
H. Organizing My Map
I. Filling in the disaster record
2.3 3rd Organization and discussion on disasterprevention map
J. Organization of map
K. Discussion
L. Presentation

Methodology

We will introduce the order and method of
manufacturing concrete map. We help the personaldisaster prevention map (My map) making in threestages.
At the beginning of the three stages we aim toshare basic knowledge and lecture for the motivationof map making. Because interesting in the region for

Furthermore, if editing the My map of people, ahazard map of the area will be obtained. On the map,the hazards and evacuation spot from various
viewpoints will be shown. Then, they can prepare to
the improvements of a regional disaster by this map.

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10th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

In this way, they will use a My map information as
valuable local information. In addition, they are able
to know more such as a disaster supporter required.
However, it is necessary to adequate care for theprotection of personal information. On obtaining
safety information of vulnerable people, his
understanding and the consensus of regional identity
will be required.
People can understand detailed information ofareas by making My Map (a hazard map ofindividuals). If there is such a foundation, they areable to understand better a warning and alarm, suchas heavy rains and earthquakes. Furthermore, they
will be able to good use on meteorological data likerainfalls, also they will be possible to evacuate
speedy. Various disaster experiences are valuable, but
it is forgotten over time. It is important that a person
hands down an experience to prevent the weatheringof the disaster experience. And it is first step of theprevention of weathering experience that the person
who heard it imagines of a disaster. When the
mapping, it is important to speak, listen to pastexperience. Former land use, modification of terrain,
and origin of place names are valuable inunderstanding the features of a hazard on the region.
3.

school.
3.1 Case study 1：Regional disaster prevention
map making of neighborhood association
This case study was carried out over theJune-July 2010 before occurrence of the Tohoku
region Pacific Ocean earthquake of March 11, 2011.
Therefore we aimed to making a map for earthquake
into consideration mainly. The area is Sendai
Wakabayashi
Horyoduka-simoneighborhood
association. Number of participants from the firsttimes until the 3rd, was 20 people each time. Finally,
by collecting personal map, make a disasterprevention map of the neighborhood association,
were provided. Date and contents that people werecarried out My map making is shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Date and Contents of Case 1
Stage
No.1
No.2

Case studies

No.3

In the following, we will introduce two cases of
My map making. One is a map making inneighborhood association, the other is in elementary

Date
June
2010
June
2010

Contents
6,

Lecture ; Land and disaster19,

Field work ; Mapping of theregionJuly 3, 2010

Organization and discussion

We performed prior to field work and made apreliminary map, to collect regional information. In

Fig. 1 The leaflet about the terrain and geology in the vicinity of the neighborhood association3

10th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

addition, we collected the article of the topography
and geology in the region to create a regional leaflet.
And we made a regional leaflet and explained it in

the first lectures. This leaflet was distributed to theparticipants to print on both sides of the A3 version.

3.1.1 1st Stage; Lecture in the neighborhood
association hall
We had the first lectures in next program.
1) Earthquake mechanism; Foundation and earthquake
disasters around Wakabayashi Ward Nakakura
2) Character of the region; Changes in urbanization andearthquake disaster in the vicinity of Wakabayashi
Horyoduka-simo.
3) Damage and evacuation; Seismic intensity
prediction and Sendai disaster prevention map
4) How to make My map (personal disaster preventionmap); Map making and its effectof mapping is to clarity and color-coded observations.
For example, the hazard is displayed in red, those that
useful after a disaster are displayed in green. It's hard toremember just only color-coded map of the local
information. For this reason, it should always be to fillby letters to the map. About result of the fieldwork on
one day, we keep fair copy on the same day. Time goesby and we forget the information. Because it is My
map for families, they are sufficient to fair copy whicha family is able to understand. Ways of fair copy of theparticipants are the two. In other words, one is theperforming by himself the other is combination of thelarge-format drawings in group work. The latter is one
in which it was carried out in the neighborhood
association that was introduced in this case. By thismethod, we perform fieldwork by a group consisting ofseveral people and perform an organization together ina group. In this case, for various information gathering,oversight is reduced. Photo 2 shows the status of the
field work of group.

Photo. 1 Attendance scenery of the 1st Stage

3.1.2
2nd Stage; Field work
In the field work, we have configured the teamwith a combination of participant 4-5 people and NPO
member 1-2 people. Since mapping along the road,there is a risk of traffic accidents. In addition, it isdifficult enough survey by a large number of people atthe same time. Because the group formation acts
together until the third stage, it is an art to choose aleader.
Scope of field work is in the neighborhood
association. The hazards have a regional characteristic.
At the time of mapping, considering a disaster that may
occur in the area, participants has to collect the
information of the hazard, the safety and the useful for
evacuation. Participants fill them on the map, recordand further take pictures. Base map will use the urban
planning map or residential map. If they do not havethis map, it enough a schematic sketch map of roads
and terrain. Since understood height of the ground, thebase map drawing contour lines is valid in flooded
areas. The drawings will be prepared two sheets, theone for fieldwork and the other for the fair copy. Hang

Photo. 2

Fieldwork of 2nd Stage

3.1.3 3rd Stage; Organization of My map
We performed an organization of My map and a
discussion of disaster prevention measures on thedrawing of the large size in the group. The
participation group of the neighborhood association
was in charge of the north, center and south on the
town each and completed a map. A large format
drawing is obtained by expanding the drawings which
are used in field work. And stretched the transparent
sheet on the surface of the drawing, it was filled with afelt-tip pen and sticky notes. Hazard on earthquake
such as utility poles with transformer and tiled roof
were displayed by attaching a red color seal. Afterfiling the drawing, based on the map, each team has
discussed and presented the disaster prevention
measures in the region.

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10th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

Impression of the fieldwork obtained 4 very good, andwas almost well received illustrated in fig.3.

Fig. 3 Impression of the fieldwork
Impression of the finish of My map were variety. Thismight be an impression caused by a person who
succeeded in the finish of my map and a person who
cannot. We reflect that this should have had a little
more careful explanation.

Photo. 3 Presentation of a My map organizing
Finally, we edited these maps and made a disasterprevention map of the whole neighborhood association(see Fig.2). We let this map reflect the discussion result
about local earthquake measures. Because of a narrowroad in the region, we illustrated the figure whichreferred to road width and the passage of the vehicle
at the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in
1995. In addition, we provided a blank map to the backside of this disaster prevention map. This will be to
make it available as a safe map of the school road in
the future.
In this activity, we explained undergroundinformation and a change of the topography. On thecontrary, participants gave local information to us.
They told us a damaged situation of the area at the timeof the 1978 Miyagi earthquake. People with thetechnical knowledge are usually suitable for the
explanation of the invisible place. We thought that it
might become the first step of mitigation that an expert
told information to people directly.
By the questionnaire for the participant, we
checked an impression made with a map. The
questionnaire that we were able to collect was six ofthem. In this questionnaire, we obtained an answer infour items of very good, good, normal and poor fromthem. About a lecture of an earthquake and the ground,
all the members answer it, "it is good to very good" toshow it in fig.2.

33

Fig. 4 Impression of the My map making
An impression of the free entry of the participant
shows as follow;a) An instructor of professional engineer provided mean advice directly and gave a viewpoint of survey.
b) Because a little of people in the neighborhood
association participated, I regretted it very much. I
thought that it was important that the people of theneighborhood association experienced such a lecture.
3.2 Case study 2: Making the disaster prevention
map by the third grader of elementary school
This case study was carried out over the June-July
2013 after occurrence of the Tohoku region Pacific
Ocean earthquake of March 11, 2011. Therefore weaimed to making a map not for earthquake but also forother natural hazards. We carried out this case from
August 2013 to November. The participants were 87
students of the third grade in Sendai city elementary
school. We carried it out at a part of composite learning.
By the composite learning, they learned the local
history, nature and citizen-based town planning
through the year. Furthermore, they aimed at discoveryof various problems in the area and at voluntary
solution. This course, in the wake of the earthquake ofMarch 11, was realized in the enthusiasm of a teacher
who wanted to disaster prevention learning to students.
On the theme of "Discovery in the usual place", theysurveyed a school road once again at a point of thedisaster prevention and thought about measures.

Very Good Good

Fig. 2 Impression of the lecture of foundation andearthquake510th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

Fig. 5 Hazard map of Horyoduka-simo neighborhood association (compiled from personal map)
Finally, they presented it to a family and local people
around the school. A course was 3 times, and thecontents were lectures, field work and the organizationof disaster prevention map. After this, students made a
map under the guidance of teachers. In addition, theypresented towards the parents and local residents of theschool area about the content of this disaster prevention
map. The contents of map making shows in table 2.

third grade of the elementary school just learned a map
for the first time, and there is a difference in degree ofthe understanding. Because we thought that learning by
the manual labor was the most effective as for theconcentration of the third grader, we offered a drawing
for coloring to them and taught it. It was thought thatthe drawing for coloring becomes the good teachingmaterials letting the student of the lower grades
understand the topographic and geologic relationship.

Table 2 Date and Contents of Case 2
Stage
No.1
No.2
No.3

Date
Nov.
2013
Nov.
2013
Nov.
20013

Contents
11,
18,
25,

Lecture ; Terrain andfoundation around the school
Field work; Discovery andmapping
Organization of map andpresentation

3.2.1 1st Stage ; Lesson in the class
In the first lesson, we talked about the topography
and the foundation around the school to students. We
let them do a drawing for coloring and understandrelations of the geology and the topography. The
elementary school was located in the alluvial plain near
the Nanakita River. It was a flat place and wasseemingly unrelated to the disaster. The student of the

Photo. 4

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Student drawing for coloring10th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

In addition, we obtained the ground survey data of aschool, to make and show them a simulated core of thefoundation. We donated the core sample to school.
Since we had explained the formation age of the
Tertiary layer, It was thought that interest had beendrawn to the age that did not use usually. Many
students had an interest in simulated core.

about encoding, the coloration and the comment of thephenomenon that they described in map. In
organization of the map, a leader played a key role
about the contents of the map. However, it was a little
difficult for this drawing to make it plain to otherpeople.

3.2.2 2nd Stage ; Fieldwork
They performed field work of the second stage
along school road. We surveyed it preliminarily andgathered this up and made the map for the leader. We
decided to divide it into the twice in the afternoon andin the morning, and to perform it because a leader was
short to let 87 students in 6 route make a field work at
one sweep. We divided the whole into the group of
12-14. The cooperation of teachers and protectors wasnecessary for this. Students prepared a blank map for
sketching and set up writing implements and performeda field work of around one hour. They were especiallymapping the hazard of natural disaster. For example,
block made of wall in the school route, old houses,
utility poles (with a transformer), and large billboards
and the like. In addition, those that useful in evacuation,for example a park, vacant lot, a convenience store, asewage manhole had been mapped. While receiving avariety of questions from students in survey, we
instructed them to recognize the familiar hazard. What
are the hazards for me and family? Students initially
had puzzled, but they had mapped hazards and useful
matters from the next to the next. Although they justlearned mapping, it seemed to be very well.

Photo. 5

Photo. 6

Organizing of a map in teamAfter the organization of the map, the presentation by
the student was two times. The first was presentationof the learning result for campus, and the second was apresentation of the free participation of a protector andlocal inhabitants. Of course, as for us, an observer
participated in this presentation. In the disasterprevention map making that was carried out acomprehensive learning of third grade elementary, theyknew danger and safety on the school route byusing their own hands, legs and a head. And foundproblems in the event of a disaster, it was believed that
it was a good training considers them how to solve this.

Students in field work

3.2.3 3rd Stage; Map Organization and discussion
In the organization of the map, we had shown tostudents a hazard and a safety space of the school road.
We provided a quiz by which a hazard and a safety
space were easy to understand. After this, they
organized map by filling data to a drawing in eachgroup. By the rearranging of the map, they discussed

Photo. 7

7

Presentation in class room

10th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG (2015)

4.

Conclusions

Available from
<URL:http://www.data.jma.go.jp/cpdinfo/monitor/20
07/pdf/CCMR2007_chap1.pdf#page=24>
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransportation(2014a):Occurrenceof
sediment-related disasters in 2013 (on line) (cited 21
April 2015)
Available
from<http://www.mlit.go.jp/river/sabo/jirei/h25dosha/
H25dosyasaigai_matome3.31.pdf>
The Research Group for Active Faults of Japan (1991):
Active Faults in Japan, University of Tokyo Press
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransportation (2014b): Hazard map portal site (online) (cited 21 April 2015)<http://disaportal.gsi.go.jp/>

In this paper we introduced two examples of My
map making. The NPO activity starts as a social
activity of the employment. Furthermore, not only theactivities of disaster prevention and mitigation, we
have served as a special lecturer of science education inelementary school. As for the making of my map, thevisit lecture of the engineering geologists with thetechnical knowledge was the biggest characteristic. The
member of us visited a neighborhood association andthe residents' association and opened a course. It could
be understood easily for geologist to obtain muchinformation by fieldwork. If people really perform atown walk using this technique, much information will
be provided. Furthermore, they will become easy toobtain information markedly if they perform a town
walk after having known topography, geology, thehistory of a land and disasters. It would be certain thatmuch more information is still provided if there areexperience person of the disaster. Seeing is believing tosay, it is hard to forget the information that we
confirmed with our eyes, hands and foot. And thefieldwork is important above all because of theinterchange between inhabitants while walking. The
momentary judgment when we met with a hazard
appears from an experience, and a judgment will belate without real experience.
The making of disaster prevention map is possible
in third graders of elementary school. Through thiswork, consciousness about the disaster prevention isdeveloped, and the student can give more information
for a family. Furthermore, it is thought that they help
improvement of the consciousness of disasterprevention and mitigation of the whole area by talking
about the evacuation site. This process would be usefulregardless of age, gender and with or without obstacle(more than it in third grade at an elementary school).
Because the person with the technical knowledgeof the topography geology is limited, we expect theparticipation of the engineering geologist supporting
activity of natural disaster prevention and mitigation.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank for neighborhood association of
Sendai Wakabayashi Horyoduka-simo and teachers andprotectors of Ichinazaka elementary school in Sendai
who had cooperated in disaster prevention map
making.

References
JMA (2007): CLIMATE CHANGE MONITORINGREPORT2007 (on line) (cited 21 April 2015)8