275

Expanding the Scope of Environmental Emergency Research
towards Disaster-resilience and Environmental Sustainability
Toshimasa OHARA1*, Ryo TAJIMA2, Yujiro HIRANO1, Shigenori IINO1 and Seiji HAYASHI1
Fukushima Branch, National Institute for Environmental Studies
10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu Town, Tamura-gun, Fukushima 963-7700, Japan
2
Centre for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies,
16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan*E-mail: tohara@nies.go.jp
1

Abstract
Climate change is already showing its influence in natural disasters and is likely to exacerbate natural
disasters in the future. Given these circumstances, the results of and experience in research on disasters andthe environment should facilitate the creation of a sustainable, disaster-resilient society. In this regard,
systematic consideration of the knowledge gained from environmental emergency research conducted since
the Great East Japan Earthquake would help establish a new research field based on disaster-related
environmental research of the past. Here, we propose a conceptual framework for expanding the scope ofenvironmental emergency research towards disaster-resilience and environmental sustainability.
Key words :	disaster resilience, environmental emergency research, Great East Japan Earthquake,natural disasters, sustainability

1. Introduction
In recent years the sustainability of society has been
impaired by environmental problems resulting fromsudden-onset natural disasters. The Great East Japan
Earthquake (GEJE) and the subsequent tsunami in 2011that caused the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant
accident (hereinafter the “nuclear accident”) is one such
example. The accident released radioactive substancesthat caused environmental pollution and necessitated theremoval of large amounts of radioactive waste andcontaminated soil. Since then, major natural disasters
have occurred almost every year with great impacts onsociety and the environment. The existing academic
discipline of environmental science is inadequate foraddressing these circumstances. A new knowledge
system for environmental issues is needed that unites
the accumulated environmental knowledge fromenvironmental emergency response, disaster recovery inthe disaster prevention/mitigation and sustainablecommunity development. A new approach is necessary in
the present age when knowledge from “normal times” isinadequate for dealing with the various large-scaledisasters, accidents and sudden-onset situations, such as
the global COVID-19 pandemic, that are occurring. Suchan approach can be developed further into “discontinuityscience” and “non-steady-state science” for seamlessly
linking normal times and states of emergency.
Global Environmental Research
24/2020: 275-278
printed in Japan

2. Disaster-related Environmental Researchin Japan
2.1 Summary of Disaster-related Environmental
Research in Japan before the GEJE
Up to now in Japan, environmental issues anddisasters have been addressed in research as separate
issues in terms of environmental protection measures anddisaster prevention/mitigation. There were two main
impetuses that led to the launching of a movement in theearly 2000s to address these issues simultaneously(National Institute for Environmental Studies, 2013). The
first was the 2nd Science and Technology Basic Plan
(Government of Japan, 2001), which stressed theimportance of research on river basin management inharmony with nature. Based on this plan, technologicaldevelopment was conducted to link disaster prevention/mitigation measures with fundamental ecosystem services(such as hydrological cycle control) and regulatory
services (such as natural disaster control) in river basin
management. The second impetus, based on experiencesof the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake, 2004
Niigata Chuetsu earthquake and 2004 Sumatra-Andaman
earthquake, stemmed from the view that environmental
infrastructure and disaster prevention/mitigation projects,
both falling under the category of social infrastructuredevelopment, could be implemented more efficiently if
carried out together and, furthermore, could contribute to©2020 AIRES

276T. OHARA et al.

local community development. For example, the Japan
Society of Civil Engineers (2006) report titled Technologyand System Coordination for Environmental and Disaster
Prevention lays out the impacts of natural disasterprevention measures on the environment, and conversely,
the impacts of environmental measures on disasterprevention. The report stresses the importance ofcoordination between the two.
2.2 Disaster-related Environmental Research after
the GEJE
After the GEJE, a wide range of research on thedisaster was carried out by newly-formed organizations
including the Tohoku University International ResearchCenter of Disaster Science, Fukushima University
Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Waseda
Resilience Research Institute, and Fukushima Prefectural
Centre for Environmental Creation, as well as existingorganizations such as the Kyoto University Disaster
Prevention Research Institute and Nagoya University
Disaster Mitigation Center, which had been conducting
disaster prevention and mitigation research prior to theGEJE. However, while much research has been conductedfrom the perspectives of disaster prevention andresilience, few studies have addressed post-disasterreconstruction and community development. Also,
environmental perspectives have not always beenadequately addressed.
As the papers included in this special issue show,
many studies have addressed environmental emergency
aspects including post-disaster environmental impacts ofpollutants, environmental recovery and management ofdisaster wastes (e.g., Iijima et al., 2020). With regards tothe nuclear accident caused by the GEJE, a wide range of
research has been conducted and many results havealready been reported on the environmental impacts of
the large amounts of radioactive substances released into
the environment (Science Council of Japan, 2020). These
environmental emergency studies have made a major
contribution to reconstruction efforts and environmental
recovery in areas affected by the GEJE and nuclear
accident. In addition, research on sustainable community
development, including the establishment of sustainableregional environments, environmentally conscious
reconstruction and the creation of disaster resilient
regions is being carried out to some extent, as evident
from the papers included in this special issue (e.g., Hirano
et al., 2020; Otsuka et al., 2020; Gomi, 2020; Togawa etal., 2020). However, much less research is being
conducted in these areas on the environmental impacts,
environmental recovery and management of disaster
wastes. Given the progress toward reconstruction of thedisaster areas, further research is needed, especially in thenuclear disaster-affected areas of Fukushima Prefecture.
Furthermore, systematic research is needed toaddress the series of processes for increasing theresilience and sustainability of society during normaltimes, achieving the mitigation and appropriate
management of environmental impacts during disasters,
and accelerating the transition to sustainable society
through environmental recovery.

3. Conceptual Framework of the New Research
Field for Disaster-resilience and Environmental
Sustainability
3.1 Necessity and Aim of the New Concept
In recent years, frequent large-scale natural disasters
have occurred with substantial impacts on theenvironment. There is a high risk that the frequency ofdisasters will increase due to the accelerating impacts ofclimate change. The existing disciplines of environmental
science and environmental engineering are inadequate foraddressing these circumstances. A new body ofknowledge on environmental issues is needed for
integrating the knowledge gained on emergency responseand disaster reconstruction through disaster science.
However, as laid out in Chapter 2, while such researchhas been conducted to some extent, this research has notbeen organized within a theoretical framework. In
particular, up to now, the conceptual framework andmethodologies that seamlessly link different phases—from preparation for disaster resilience during normal
times to systematic emergency response immediately
following a disaster, rapid environmental recovery anddevelopment of a sustainable society in the medium tolong-term—have not been explored either in Japan orabroad.
Given the frequent occurrence of various disasters,
to have science contribute to the building of a sustainable,disaster-resilient society, a new research field needs to beestablished that can systematize the knowledge andexperience accumulated through disaster response andcontribute scientifically to the creation of a sustainable,disaster-resilient society. This research field would bedefined as a body of knowledge with the objective ofachieving sustainable societies in the long term by
improving the sustainability and resilience of societies
during normal times, achieving mitigation andappropriate management of environmental impacts during
disasters, and using disaster reconstruction to improvesustainability further.
Tajima and Osako (2020) organized environmental
impacts of disasters into four categories: (1) disturbancesof the natural environment, (2) generation of disaster
wastes, (3) release of toxic chemical substances and (4)environmental impacts associated with disaster recovery
and reconstruction. The purpose of the disaster-resilienceand environmental sustainability research field will be tosystematize the knowledge related to the mitigation andmanagement of the above environmental impacts
associated with disasters.

Towards disaster-resilience and environmental sustainability
3.2 Methodology
In addition to the aspects addressed by conventional
environmental emergency management such as themitigation and management of environmental impacts
associated with disasters, it is important for the newresearch field to aim to improve the sustainability anddisaster-resilience of societal systems during normal
times, use disaster reconstruction to increasesustainability, and promote cycling and interrelationships
between these three phases. Although there are various
arguments regarding whether it is possible to achieveboth sustainability and disaster resilience based on
existing general principles proposed for accomplishingthese two goals simultaneously (Redman, 2014; Elmqvist
et al., 2019), the methodology for the disaster-resilienceand environmental sustainability research field can belaid out by phase in a timeline from before to after
disasters as shown in Fig. 1.
(1) Simultaneous improvement of sustainability anddisaster resilience of social systems during normal times
Research to facilitate smooth implementation ofenvironmental impact management during disasters,
research on improving sustainability through disasterreconstruction, and research on environmental impact
mitigation during disasters.
(2) Environmental impact management during
disasters
Research on the overall management of the series ofprocesses from the identification of pollution sources andassessment of impacts to emergency measures to mitigate
impacts and treatment and disposal of pollution sources.
(3) Increasing sustainability by transforming social
structures through reconstruction
Projects and community development utilizing local

Sustainability

Ensuresustainability and resiliencein human activities

Mainstreaming
resilience andsustainability indecision making

environmental resources to ensure sustainability in therecovery and reconstruction process and research toresolve environmental, social and economic issues
existing in communities prior to disasters as part ofregional disaster reconstruction.
It will be important to establish the new research
field in collaboration with various stakeholders in disasterareas and to accumulate and systematize specialized
knowledge and experience through the lateral transfer of
research results to non-disaster areas.

4. Summary
There is a high risk of natural disasters increasing in
the future due to the accelerating impacts of climatechange. Given these circumstances, it is necessary tocontribute scientifically to the building of a sustainable,disaster-resilient society based on the results from andexperience gained through research on disasters and theenvironment. This report proposes a conceptual
framework for expanding the scope of environmental
emergency research towards disaster-resilience andenvironmental sustainability based on a review ofdomestic research trends. We plan to discuss andcontinuously revise our proposal with the input of many
stakeholders. We hope that this paper will stimulate lively
discussions towards the establishment of a new research
field for disaster-resilience and environmental
sustainability.
References
Elmqvist, T., Andersson, E., Frantzeskaki, N., McPhearson, T.,
Olsson, P., Gaffney, O., Takeuchi, K. and Folke, C. (2019)
Sustainability and resilience for transformation in the urban

Controlenvironmental
impacts of disastersMitigating impactsof released
Preparedness
hazardous
planning andsubstances
training

Pre-disasterrecoveryplanning

Ecosystembased disasterrisk reduction(Eco-DRR)

277

Transition tosustainable society
through recovery
Ensuring sustainability
in recovery
process

Environmentally
resilient society

Creation of newvalues from local
environment
Adaption to disturbancesof the natural environment

Business
as usualManagement and 3R
for disaster waste
time

Fig. 1 Outline of research areas for achieving a sustainable and resilient society.

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T. OHARA et al.

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Toshimasa OHARA
Toshimasa Ohara is a fellow at the National
Institute for Environmental Studies. Immediately
after the Fukushima accident, his groupcommenced atmospheric simulations ofradionuclides and published the first results ontemporal and spatial variations in deposition rates
on a regional scale. Currently he leads theEnvironmental Emergency Research Program for contributing toenvironmental reconstruction and creation in Fukushima.

Ryo TAJIMA
Ryo Tajima is a senior researcher at the Centre forMaterial Cycles and Waste Management
Research, National Institute for EnvironmentalStudies, Japan. His main research field is policy
and planning for waste management underdisaster and normal circumstances. He is involved
in local and national efforts to draft guidelines
and plans and design training programs for disaster waste management.

Yujiro HIRANO
Yujiro Hirano is a senior researcher at theRegional Environmental Renovation Section of
the National Institute for Environmental Studies,
Fukushima Branch. He holds a doctorate ofengineering and has long been engaged in researchon low-carbon lifestyles remote sensing of urban
surfaces, urban heat island countermeasures andurban energy system. His recent research interests are in modeling andanalysis of regional energy use for environmental renovation plans.

Shigenori IINO
Shigenori Iino is a researcher at the RadiologicalContaminated Off-site waste Management
Section of the National Institute forEnvironmental Studies, Fukushima branch. Heholds a Doctor of Engineering degree, and his
recent research interests lie in formation of aregional circular and ecological sphere centeredon waste management in Fukushima.

Seiji HAYASHI
Seiji Hayashi is a research group manager at theFukushima branch of the National Institute forEnvironmental Studies. He is serving as project
leader for research on the behavior of radioactive
substances in multimedia environments. Hisenergetic research activities are contributing to
the environmental recovery of Fukushima
Prefecture and its surrounding region.
(Received 20 December 2020, Accepted 28 December 2020)