APRU Multi-Hazard (MH) Summer School 2018

Urban Disaster Risk Reduction:
Japan as a disaster-prone country andlearning from past disasters
International Strategy for Disaster Mitigation Lab.
International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS)
Tohoku University, Japan

Osamu MURAOContents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How do you evaluate urban disaster risk?
Disaster Life Cycle
Sendai Framework and “Build Back Better”
1934 Hakodate Great Fire
Japan as a Disaster-prone Country and Learningfrom the Past Disasters

1

How do you evaluate urban
disaster risk?

hurricanes

global warming

complicated urban system
floodsrapid urbanization

a Cityearthquakes
heavy rains

sea level rise
population increase
cyclones
tsunamishigh density districtextreme weather
volcanic eruptions
typhoons

Q: What is “risk”?

Riskn A possibility of harm or damage against whichsomething is insured. (Oxford Dictionary ofEnglish)[Example]
Earthquake occurrence risk of Tokyo between 2015
and 2030 is about 30%.
The risk of Tokyo due to the earthquake is increasing
because we estimated the number of damagedbuildings would be higher than before.

Q: How can you evaluate urban disaster risk?
Hint:Urban Disaster Risk = H*V*E

The mechanism of disaster occurence

Input

SystemOutput
Damaged
OrNotThe mechanism of disaster occurence

Input

SystemOutput
Damaged
OrHazardNot'
Threat from the Nature." Earthquake. Tsunami.! Heavy Rain
.# Typhoon. Outbreak of Fire%)' / .($0*+,-1.
.
.
Characteristics (Social, Physical, and Temporal)&)
Appeared Phenomena. Physical. Social

Definition of Urban Disaster Risk

Urban Disaster Risk
= Hazard * Vulnerability * Exposed Value

HazardA dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition
that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property
damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic
disruption, or environmental damage.
The hazards of concern to disaster risk reduction as stated in footnote
3 of the Hyogo Framework are “… hazards of natural origin andrelated environmental and technological hazards and risks.” Suchhazards arise from a variety of geological, meteorological,hydrological, oceanic, biological, and technological sources,
sometimes acting in combination. In technical settings, hazards aredescribed quantitatively by the likely frequency of occurrence ofdifferent intensities for different areas, as determined from historical
data or scientific analysis.

Vulnerability
The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset
that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.
There are many aspects of vulnerability, arising from various physical,
social, economic, and environmental factors. Examples may include
poor design and construction of buildings, inadequate protection ofassets, lack of public information and awareness, limited official
recognition of risks and preparedness measures, and disregard for wise
environmental management. Vulnerability varies significantly within acommunity and over time. This definition identifies vulnerability as acharacteristic of the element of interest (community, system or asset)
which is independent of its exposure. However, in common use theword is often used more broadly to include the element’s exposure.

Exposed Value/Exposure
People, property, systems, or other elements present in hazard
zones that are thereby subject to potential losses.
Measures of exposure can include the number of people or typesof assets in an area. These can be combined with the specificvulnerability of the exposed elements to any particular hazard toestimate the quantitative risks associated with that hazard in thearea of interest.

Definition of Urban Disaster Risk

Urban Disaster Risk
= Hazard * Vulnerability * Exposed Value

Hazard and Vulnerability

Hazard and Vulnerability

Hazard and Vulnerability

2Disaster Life CycleDisaster Life Cycle
Disaster()))(&Q6: What is mitigation and preparedness?

Mitigationn Activities aimed at eliminating or reducing theoccurrence of a disaster and reducing the effects ofunavoidable disasters.
n Measures that will reduce the potential for damage
to a facility or structure from a disaster event.
(FEMA)

Preparednessn Activities taken to help save lives and minimize

damage by preparing people to respond
appropriately when an emergency is imminent.
Preparedness includes planning to respond whenan emergency or disaster occurs and working toincreases available to respond effectively.
(FEMA)

Responsen Activities occurring during or immediately

following a disaster designed to provide
emergency assistance to the victims of the event,reduce the likelihood of secondary damage and toexpedite recovery operations.
(FEMA)

Recoveryn Activities traditionally associated with providing

Federal supplemental disaster recovery assistanceunder a disaster declaration. Recovery includes
individual and public assistance programs thatprovide temporary housing assistance, grants, andloans to eligible individuals and government
entities to recover from the effects of a disaster.
(FEMA)

3

Sendai Framework and “BuildBack Better”

Q: What is a concept of “Build Back Better” ?

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015)
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) is the first major
agreement of the post-2015 development agenda,
with seven targets and four priorities for action.
It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly
following the 2015 Third UN World Conference onDisaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR).

World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
in Sendai, 2015

Build Back Better Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015

Sendai Frameworkfor Disaster Risk Reduction2015 - 2030

1

Build Back Better (BBB)
The use of the recovery, rehabilitation andreconstruction phases after a disaster to increase theresilience of nations and communities throughintegrating disaster risk reduction measures into therestoration of physical infrastructure and societal
systems, and into the revitalization of livelihoods,economies, and the environment (United Nations
General Assembly, 2016).

41934 Hakodate Great Fire

HakodatePresent Hakodate City with Green Belt Network

Present Hakodate City with Green Belt Network

5Japan as a Disaster-prone Countryand Learning from the PastDisastersVulnerability: Wooden House Congested Districts

Japanese Traditional House Made of Wood and Paper

Timeline of Critical Disastrous Events

Great Fires in Old Tokyo
17,18CWorld War IISakata
FireGreat KobeEarthquake

1945

19761995

1872

1923

1986

Ginza Fire

Great Tokyo Earthquake

Disaster Prevention BaseIn Eastern TokyoPublic Open Space in Ryogoku to Prevent Fire SpreadWalls to Prevent Fire Spread in Waki, TokushimaUdatsu 



1. Urban Structure Readjustment

Showa Avenue

Sumida Park (the First Water Front Park)4. Providing Modern Apartments (Doujunkai)Great Kobe Earthquake (Hyogo)
1657

1872

1923

1945

1976 1986 1995

Timeline of Critical Disastrous Events

Great Fires in Old Tokyo
17,18CWorld War II

SakataFire

Great KobeEarthquake

19451976

19951872

1923

1986

Ginza Fire

Great Tokyo Earthquake

Disaster Prevention BaseIn Eastern Tokyo

WCDR 2005 at Hyogo

UNISDR establishedwith the progress of society's
capabilities to address disasters and themitigation of vulnerabilities to disasters
by• developing disaster management
systems,• promoting national land conservation,• improving weather forecasting
technologies,• and upgrading disaster information
communications systems

WCNDR 1994 at Yokohama

Number of Deaths and Missing Persons in Disasters

IDNDR

Disaster Management in Japan (CAO, 2011)

Importance of Learning from Past Disasters

Urban Disaster Risk Reduction
Japan as a disaster-prone country and learningfrom past disasters