ASIAN DISASTER REDUCTION CENTER
VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

FINAL REPORTSEISMIC MONITORING, SEISMIC HAZARD, RISK ASSESSMENT AND EARTHQUAKEEARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AS A PART OF SEISMIC RISKREDUCTION

Ani Gevorgyan
Head of Complex Department for Seismic
Hazard Assessment,
Regional Survey for Seismic Protection,
Ministry of Emergency Situations,
Republic of Armenia,
TEL: (+374 93) 53 35 23,
Email: ani_gevorkjan@mail.ru

Kobe − 2023

2Disclaimer

This report was compiled by an ADRC visiting researcher (VR) from ADRC member countries.

The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADRC. The
boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the maps in the report also do not
imply official endorsement or acceptance by the ADRC.

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CONTENTSACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................................5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................7
1.

GENERAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................8

1.1. Republic of Armenia ................................................................................................................8
1.2. Japan .......................................................................................................................................102.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN ARMENIA ......................................................................122.1. Natural Disaster Risks and Hazards in Armenia ....................................................................122.2. Recent Major Earthquakes in Armenia ..................................................................................14•

Spitak Destructive Earthquake ...............................................................................................15

2.3. Regional Survey for Seismic Protection at the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the
Republic of Armenia .....................................................................................................................16
2.4. The Legal Authority in Seismic Risk Reduction ...................................................................18
2.5. Disaster Management Strategy based on the Hyogo Framework of Action and Sendai
Framework for DRR ......................................................................................................................18
2.6. Disaster Education and Human Resource Development: Current Situation of the Training andDisaster Education in RA ..............................................................................................................23
3.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN JAPAN ............................................................................26

3.1. Natural Disaster Risks and Hazards in Japan .........................................................................26
3.2. Recent Major Earthquakes in Japan .......................................................................................27•

Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake ..........................................................................................28•

Great East Japan Earthquake ..................................................................................................29

3.3. Laws and Legal Systems of DM in Japan ..............................................................................31
3.4. Disaster Management .............................................................................................................33
3.5. Disaster Risk Reduction .........................................................................................................35
3.6. Disaster Education and Human Resource Development........................................................36
3.7. Asian Disaster Reduction Center ...........................................................................................37
4. SEISMIC MONITORING, SEISMIC HAZARD, RISK ASSESSMENT AND
EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AS A PART OF
SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN ARMENIA ............................................................................47
4.1. Seismic Monitoring ................................................................................................................47
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44.2. Information about Earthquake ................................................................................................48
4.3. Seismic Hazard Maps .............................................................................................................49
5. SEISMIC MONITORING, SEISMIC HAZARD, RISK ASSESSMENT AND
EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AS A PART OF
SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN JAPAN ..................................................................................51
5.1. Seismic Monitoring ................................................................................................................51
5.2. Information about Earthquake ................................................................................................53
5.3. Seismic Hazard Maps .............................................................................................................57
5.4. Earthquake Early Warnings System .......................................................................................59
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................62
References .....................................................................................................................................64

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ACRONYMSADRC

Asian Disaster Reduction Center

ADESS

Automated Data Editing and Switching System

ARNAP

Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform foundation

CBDRM

Community Based Disaster Risk Management

CEA

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission

CMC

Crisis Management Center

CMSA

Crisis Management State Academy

COSMETS

Computer System for Meteorological Services

CTBTO

Comprehensive nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization

CTBT

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

DASE

Analysis, Monitoring, Environment Department

DCPC

Data Collection or Production Centre

DRR

Disaster Risk Reduction

EEW

Earthquake Early Warning

EMSC

European-Mediterranean Seismological Center

EPOS

Earthquake Phenomena Observation System

EQ

Earthquake

GDP

Gross Domestic Product

GEM

Global Earthquake Model Foundation

GEONET

GNSS Earth Observation Network System

GEORISK

Georisk Scientific Research Company

GISC

Global Information System Centre

GPS

Global Position System

GSI

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

GSHAP

Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program

GSN

Global Seismographic Network

GTS

Global Telecommunication System

HERP

Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion

HFA

Hyogo Framework of Action

IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

IRIS

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

ISC

International Seismological Center

JAMSTEC

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology

JICA

Japan International Cooperation Agency

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JMA

The Japan Meteorological Agency

J-SHIS.

Japan Seismic Hazard Information Station

MES

Ministry of Emergency Situations

MEXT

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and technology of Japan

MTSAT

Geostationary Meteorological Satellite

NAPS

Numerical Analysis and Prediction System

NIED

National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience

NMHS

National Meteorological and Hydrological Service

NMC

National Meteorological Centres

NP

National Platform

PGA

Peak Ground Acceleration

PSHA

Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment

RA

Republic of Armenia

RSSP

Regional Survey for Seismic Protection

SESM

Scenario Earthquake Shaking Maps

SFDRR

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNDRR

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s FundUSA

United States of America

USGS

United States Geological Survey

WIS

WMO Information System

WMC

World Meteorological Centre

WWW

World Weather Watch

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the governments of both Japan and Armenia
in giving me the tremendous opportunity to participate in this program.
Especially my thanks and best regards to all of those who devoted their time and efforts to
education and training in the field of disaster management.
I would also like to thanks RSSP administrative group for their advice to me to join the
program of ADRC Visiting Researcher.
And finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the ADRC staff, who made my timein Japan an experience that has far surpassed my every expectation.

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1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1.

Republic of Armenia
Armenia is situated in western part of Asia, occupies the north-eastern part of Armenian

plateau – between Caucasus and Nearest Asia (the inter-river territory between the middle flowsof the rivers Kur and Araks). Armenia lies between latitudes 38° and 42° N, and meridians 43°
and 47° E.

Official name

Republic of Armenia (RA), briefly – Armenia

Name in official language

Hayastani Hanrapetutyun, briefly – Hayastan

National flag

The Coat of Arms

The Anthem“Our Fatherland”

Head of the State

President

Legislative power

Unicameral National AssemblyFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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Armenian (is part of Indo-European family of

Official language

languages)
Capital

YerevanAdministrative and territorial unit

Marz (total number of 10), communities (total
number of 502) Including: Urban: 49, in which
Yerevan with its 12 administrative districts

National currency

Dram (international currency code - AMD)

Territory

29.74 thousand square km (is comparable with theterritory of Belgium or Albania)

Neighboring countries

North - Georgia
South - Iran
East - Azerbaijan
South-West - Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan)
West – Turkey

Average elevation above sea level1800 m (76.5% of the republican territory is on theheight of 1000-2500 m above sea level)

The highest peak

Aragats mountain - 4090 m

The lowest altitude

Debed river canyon - 375 m

The greatest extent

from North-West to South-East comprises 360 km
from West to East 200 km 65 km

Time zone

Greenwich mean time + 4 hours

Regionnorth latitudes of subtropics

Climate4 seasonsdry, continental

Average temperature

in January - -6.8°C, in July - +20.8°C

Population

3.0 Million

Source: https://worldinmaps.com/country/armenia/

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1.2.

Japan
Japan is an island country situated off the eastern seaboard of the Eurasian continent in thenorthern hemisphere. The islands form a crescent-shaped archipelago stretching from northeast to
southwest parallel to the continental coastline with the Sea of Japan in between. The land is locatedbetween approximately 20 to 45 degrees’ north latitude and between approximately 123 to 154
degrees’ east longitude. It consists of the main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu
and Okinawa, and more than 6.800 smaller islands of various sizes.

Official nameJapan

Name in official language

日本国, Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku

National flag

Imperial Seal

The Anthem"Kimigayo"

CapitalTokyo

National language
Government

National language Japanese
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy- Emperor

Naruhito
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- Prime Minister

KISHIDA Fumio

Administrative and territorial unit

Region (total number of 8), Prefecture (total number of47)

National currency

Yen (international currency code - JPY)

Territory

377.944 square km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Mount
Fuji 3.776 m

Natural resources

Negligible mineral resources, fish the largest consumersof fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletionof these resources in Asia and elsewhere

Time zone

JST (UTC+9) /Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+9)

Climate4 seasons
Humid subtropicalSouth: subtropical climate
North: subarctic climate

Population

126.167 million

Source: ADRCFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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2. DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN ARMENIA

2.1.Natural Disaster Risks and Hazards in Armenia
Armenia is one of the most disaster prone countries in the southern Caucasus. Armenia isvulnerable to a number of disasters both due to natural hazards, such as earthquake, drought, flood,
landslide, avalanche, mudslide, strong wind, snowstorm, frost and hail; and man-made hazards
such as transportation and industrial accidents. Among various types of disasters, main hazard forthe territory of Armenia is the earthquake-94%, and only 6% is another hazards, as well as theearthquakes have affected large numbers of people and caused significant economic losses.

The loss caused by different types of disasters in Armenia

In Armenia, earthquakes are the most dominant hazard. As per Global Seismic Hazard
Assessment Program (GSHAP, 1998), Armenia lies in a region with moderate to high seismic
hazard. The analysis of disaster data shows that though the number of disaster events forearthquake is less than those for flood, the earthquake events caused a disproportionately large
amount of damage to the country. The most devastating seismic event was the 1988 Spitak
earthquake in Armenia that killed 25,000 people, injured 15,000, left 517,000 people homeless,caused significant damage to several cities, and resulted in direct economic losses of $ 14.2 billion.
The July 1997, Noyemberyan city earthquake affected 15,000 people and caused an economic lossof USD 33.33 million.
Meteorological disasters have become more frequent and intense in the last few decades.
Floods, mudslides, and debris flows threaten half of the country’s territory, mainly in mediumFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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altitude mountainous areas, where they typically occur once every three to ten years. During 20042007, mudflows damaged some 200 settlements and 600 sites on main transportation routes.
Average annual damage from mudflows in the past four years is $2.9 million. Drought occurs
almost every year in one or more locales of Armenia. In 2000-2001 a severe drought resulted inlosses of around $143 million in Armenia (with 297,000 people affected). Hailstorms and strong
winds cause significant damage to the agricultural sector, with average annual losses of $30-40
million and $3.6 million, respectively. Climate change is expected to amplify the frequency andintensity of meteorological hazards in Armenia. According to the available projections, by 2100
temperatures are expected to climb by 1.7°C, and precipitation is predicted to decrease by 10%.
Boundaries of thermal belts in mountain areas are expected to move upwards by 150-900 m. The
lengths of dry spells within years are projected to increase, precipitation to become more intense
during wet periods, and the number of extremely moist and extremely dry years to rise. A shift inthe beginning, peak and duration of hydrological drought and flood periods is expected, owing togreater share of rainfall and glacial melt and smaller proportion of snowmelt in river flow.
Alternating drought and flood periods, together with shifting rainfall patterns, could expand
mudflow zones in foothill areas. The risk of technological disasters is also significant. There arearound 26 hazardous chemical enterprises in Armenia that use amonium, chlorine, chloric acid,nitric acid, etc., and over 1,500 enterprises that are at risk of explosion or catching fire. The
Metsamor nuclear power plant is located in a seismically active zone. The poplation, economy,
and environment of Armenia are highly vulnerable to natural hazards. Most significantly,
according to the World Bank poverty incidence is around 30% and is concentrated in rural areasand provincial cities. A high degree of urbanization (64%) concentrates disaster (particularly
seismic) risks in cities. The economy remains highly vulnerable. In any given year, there is a 20%
chance that a major disaster will result in losses of 12.7% of GDP. During 1990-2005 Armenia
lost close to 20% of its forest cover (around 63,000 hectares), which has greatly increased thelikelihood of mudflows and landslides.

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2.2. Recent Major Earthquakes in Armenia
Armenia, located in the central part of the Arabian Plate collisional zone with the Eurasian
Plate, experiences N–S shortening and E–W extension expressed by strong earthquakes andvolcanic activity. As a result of convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian plates, the Anatolian
block is being ejected westward, and the Iranian block forced eastward. There are many potentially
tectonically active faults accommodating plate convergence within the collision zone that havebeen collected in the Geological Datasets Layer.

Tectonic units and fault zones located around Armenia. North Anatolian Fault (NAF), East Anatolian Fault (EAF), Dead Sea
Fault (DSF), Bitlis Gap (BS), Zagros Gap (ZS), Pambak-Sevan-Syunik Fault (PSS), Mets Kovacs (GC), Eastern Anatolian
Complex (EAAC), Lesser Caucasus (LC)During the history of Armenia, numerous strong earthquakes occurred which destroyed
many buildings and took many human lives. About 2000 earthquakes occur each year. Weaktremors occur almost daily.
Deadly quakes are a tragic part of the nation's past. Practically strong earthquakes haveoccurred in Armenia beginning since 18-15th centuries a.c. The table lists some of the earthquakesthat occurred in the 20th century that destroyed many buildings, claimed many lives, and caused
large economic losses:
Severe Recorded Earthquakes in Armenia in the 20th century
Name

Year

Magnitude

Leninakan (Gyumri)

1926

6.2

Zangezur

1931

6.5

Zangezur

1968

5.1

Parakar (Yerevan)

1937

4.7

Spitak1988

7.0

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15•

Spitak Destructive Earthquake
December 7, 1988 at 07:41:22.7 GMT (11:41:22.7 local time). The epicenter by the recordsof seismographs has the following coordinates: latitude 40.92°N, longitude 44.23°E. The depth of
the hypocenter, measured by various methods and means, varies from 2.5km to 10-15km. It isnatural as the earthquake source as a spatial. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.0. The
intensity at the epicenter was 10 value on MSK-64 intensity scale.
The earthquake hit 40 % of the territory of Armenia, densely populated region with 1 ml
people. The affected area, where the intensity of the earthquake was > 8, involved 30002 km area.
21 towns and 342 villages were destructed, 514 000 people were left without shelter, 20 000 people
were injured and 12 500 people were hospitalized. Number of victims was about 25 000.
Particularly in Gyumri (15 000-17 000) and in Spitak (4 000) number of victims was more thananywhere else. 17% funds of dwellings were destroyed, the work of 170 industrial companies werehalted, the great losses were caused to villages and agro industrial complexes as well as to thearchitectural, historical and cultural monuments, 917 public buildings were destroyed.

Source: WWW Google.am. Images. Spitak Earthquake 1988

The rescue activities were systemized only two or three days later. From the first second theearthquake strike, the population carried out restless rescuing works. Anyhow the absence of theirexperience and sometimes the lack of basic knowledge on actions in emergency caused realdifficulties for the efficiency of rescue operations. Even there were cases when the public
unawareness brought to life losses. Also there was a need of rescue equipment. With the efforts ofFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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population and the rescuers 45.000 dead or alive people were brought out from the rubble and12.5000 people were hospitalized.
Spitak 1988 Earthquake have proved the deficiency of Seismic protection system in Armenia.
The state and population are not prepared to cope with devastating earthquake though it is not asecret that major earthquakes were occurred and will be occurred in Armenia. There werenumerous faults and shortcomings in yet all the fields of seismic protection.

2.3.Regional Survey for Seismic Protection at the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the
Republic of Armenia
The Spitak Earthquake served as a catalyst for important reforms and policies to makeArmenia more resilient to natural disasters. From establishing disaster risk management agencies
and developing a national strategy for reducing disaster risk, to working with international
institutions to scale up resilience across sectors, Armenia’s move toward a more proactive
approach to disaster risk management has made its communities safer. In the three decades sincethe 1988 earthquake, for example, the National Assembly has passed legislation to improve risk
reduction and emergency management systems.
Chronology of disaster risk management after the 1988 earthquake in Armenia

Source: https://www.preventionweb.net/quick/49550

The government (2008) reorganized its emergency management system, creating a Ministryof Emergency Situations (MES) and establishing a cabinet-level minister responsible for disaster
response. In 2017, the government released its Disaster Risk Management National Strategy, withkey targets to make the country even safer. MES of RA is a republican body of executive authority,
which in line with such competences as are vested in it by laws and other legal acts, develops,
implements and coordinates RA government’s policy in the area of civil defense and protection of
the population in emergency situations.
As I have already mentioned, Regional Survey for Seismic Protection (RSSP) was founded
in 1991 with the aim to organize population as well as buildings and structures seismic protection.

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It takes various measures for earthquake disaster management. RSSP’s main goal is seismic risk
reduction in Armenia, the population residence hazard mitigation and the state economic and social
loss reduction results from earthquake. It has developed two long-term Strategic National
Programs on seismic risk reduction in Armenia and in Yerevan city. Today RSSP is not only anational but also a keystone international center. The Armenian RSSP is consists into 4
professional centers, according to the main goals և research directions.
The professional centers of the Regional Survey for Seismic Protection

Regional Survey for Seismic Protection
Complex
Department for
Seismic Hazard
Assessment

Department ofObservation
Network andMonitoring

Department ofWork with
Population

Department ofEarthquake
Engineering

The Armenian RSSP is monitoring about 51 geophysical, geochemical, hydrochemical,
electromagnetic etc. parameters through National Observation Network incorporating about 150
stations. The monitoring systems involve in the global IRIS, Vayq network, Guralp network
READINESS, CTBTO and COSMOS networks which enable to change and disseminate data on
seismic hazard.
National Observation Network

The main objectives and the aims of Armenian RSSP are as follows:➢ provision of seismic hazard monitoring in the territory of Armenia➢ assessment of the seismic hazard and seismic risk of the territories
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➢ seismic risk reduction➢ assessment of the levels of caused seismicity➢ assessment of other secondary hazards connected with the seismic hazard.
2.4.The Legal Authority in Seismic Risk Reduction
Seismic Protection activities are regulated by a number of laws and legislative acts andnational programs of the Republic of Armenia:
Law of Republic of Armenia
The Law of the Republic of Armenia on Seismic Protection

2002

Resolutions of Government
The Complex Program of Seismic Risk Reduction in the Territory of Armenia

1999

The complex program of seismic risk reduction in Yerevan city

1999

Regulation
Regional Survey for Seismic Protection

2017

Other normative documents, regulating organization of seismic protection have been also
developed. Some of them are as follows:❖ New seismic building codes;❖ Principles of Seismic Microzoning;❖ Instruction on conducting of observations in seismic, geophysical and other stations;❖ The procedure of the expert analysis and providing the information about earthquake threat
to the Government of RА.

2.5.Disaster Management Strategy based on the Hyogo Framework of Action and Sendai
Framework for DRR
Natural and technological hazards threatening Armenia urge the need of development andstrengthening of DRR system in Armenia. This process implies involvement of all the potential of
the country, which can be achieved through elaboration of Disaster Risk Reduction National
Platform (DRR NP). DRR system is a framework of functions and processes with the aim to reduce
population’s vulnerability to disaster risks. It is aimed at prevention or reduction of negative
impacts of hazards and contributes to sustainable development of the society. Fund for DRR NP
was established in 2010. The Head of the Board is Minister of Emergency Situations. The goal of
the DRR NP is to establish a multi-spectral mechanism with involvement of all stakeholders.

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MES of RA has established a Crisis Management Centers as the main body for planning, cocoordinating and implementing measures related to natural and other forms of disasters(complementary to a National Platform on Disaster developed in cooperation with UNDP).
Crisis Management Centers in Yerevan

Source: MES websites

Coping with disasters globally is possible only with joint efforts and partnerships. Armenia
is considered as a high-risk country, prone to disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, hailstorms,
droughts, floods, etc.
The Government of RA recognizes the threats to country development posed by natural
hazards. Since 1991 it has worked to address DRR and to increase disaster response and recovery
capacities for the sustainable development of the country. Armenia is committed to achieving thestrategic goals of the Hyogo Framework of Action HFA 2005-2015 “Building the Resilience of
Nations and Communities to Disasters” and has taken a number of significant initiatives in thisregard.

The cooperation of MES of RA with international organizations and local partners proved tobe successful and productive over the years. Their efforts in DRR has become a priority in Armenia,
thus contributing to the sustainable development of the country. It will be needed to mention thecooperation with JICA, ADRC, UNDP, UNDRR, BCPR, UNICEF, World Bank, Red Cross

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Movement and a number of partner countries such as Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Russia,
etc.
As a result of the mentioned activities, the Government of RA set DRR as a priority and thefirst steps to form the DRR culture are already established in the country. The best evidence of itis the fact that thanks to UNDP, Armenia became the first country in the region where by theGovernment’s decision the “ARNAP’ national DRR platform was established. MES develops
National DRR Strategy, Crisis Management Centers and National Disaster Observatory. Armenia
has also registered a progress in the implementation of HFA, and among the key developments
towards establishment of decentralized DRR system has been decree of the MES on appointment
of Heads of MES Regional Representations as HFA implementation focal points at the country
regional (marz) level.
Crisis Management Centers in Marzes

Source: MES websites

Based on Japanese earthquake experiences, JICA has been supporting Armenian earthquake

disaster prevention through "Seismic Risk Assessment and Risk Management Planning Project" byutilizing Japanese technology. The main goal of"Seismic Risk Assessment and Risk Management
Planning Project" is to reduce vulnerability tolarge-scale earthquakes in the capital city of
Yerevan, where a third of the country's populationis concentrated, by providing assistance inpreparing risk management plans which cover all
viewpoints surrounding disaster management cycle
fromprevention,

emergency

response

toSource: RSSP

recovery/reconstruction. Real Time Information System on Seismic Intensity was installed at the
RSSP and Crisis Management Center of MES which aims: to promote disaster prevention actions

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21of the citizens through publicity of disaster information and to raise public awareness towards
disaster prevention. The project also focuses on awareness raising activities for citizens.
The Sendai Framework is the successor instrument to the HFA 2005-2015: Building theResilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. The HFA was conceived to give further
impetus to the global work under the International Framework for Action for the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction of 1989, and the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World:
Guidelines for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation and its Plan of Action,
adopted in 1994 and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction of 1999. The Sendai
Framework is built on elements which ensure continuity with the work done by States and otherstakeholders under the HFA and introduces a number of innovations as called for during theconsultations and negotiations. Many commentators have identified the most significant shifts asa strong emphasis on disaster risk management as opposed to disaster management, the definitionof seven global targets, the reduction of disaster risk as an expected outcome, a goal focused on
preventing new risk, reducing existing risk and strengthening resilience, as well as a set of guiding
principles, including primary responsibility of states to prevent and reduce disaster risk, all-ofsociety and all-of-State institutions engagement. In addition, the scope of disaster risk reduction
has been broadened significantly to focus on both natural and man-made hazards and related
environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks. Health resilience is strongly
promoted throughout.

Expected outcome and goal of Sendai Framework for DRR: While some progress in building
resilience and reducing losses and damages has been achieved, a substantial reduction of disasterrisk requires perseverance and persistence, with a more explicit focus on people and their healthand livelihoods, and regular follow-up. Building on the Hyogo Framework for Action, the present
Framework aims to achieve the following outcome over the next 15 years: The substantial
reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical,
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social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries. The
realization of this outcome requires the strong commitment and involvement of political leadershipin every country at all levels in the implementation and follow-up of the present Framework andin the creation of the necessary conducive and enabling environment. To attain the expected
outcome, the following goal must be pursued: Prevent new and reduce existing disaster risk
through the implementation of integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health,cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures thatprevent and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to disaster, increase preparedness forresponse and recovery, and thus strengthen resilience. The pursuance of this goal requires theenhancement of the implementation capacity and capability of developing countries, in particular
the least developed countries, small island developing States, landlocked developing countries andAfrican countries, as well as middle income countries facing specific challenges, including themobilization of support through international cooperation for the provision of means of
implementation in accordance with their national priorities.
To support the assessment of global progress in achieving the outcome and goal of thepresent Framework, seven global targets have been agreed. These targets will be measured at the
global level and will be complemented by work to develop appropriate indicators. National targets
and indicators will contribute to the achievement of the outcome and goal of the present
Framework.
The seven global targets are:1. Substantially reduce global disaster mortality by 2030, aiming to lower the average per
100,000 global mortality rate in the decade 2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–2015
2. Substantially reduce the number of affected people globally by 2030, aiming to lower the
average global figure per 100,000 in the decade 2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–
2015
3. Reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)by 2030
4. Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic
services, among them health and educational facilities, including through developing theirresilience by 2030
5. Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk
reduction strategies by 2020
6. Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate
and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of thepresent Framework by 2030

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7. Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems
and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030.
In base of this collaboration the Government of RA approved the methodology for assessing
the economic development potential in the regions, and the 2015-2030 program of improved
seismic safety in the state secondary schools of the RA. The purpose of the methodology is to
identify those territorial units, resource potential of which, are higher than the level of economic
development, to make the implemented in the country programs targeted, to ensure the mitigationof differences of socio-economic development of regions, more effectively using the economic
development potential. Armenia has recorded a number of achievements in DRR policy
development and implementation, which became possible thanks to the effective cooperation withpartner organizations. The Hyogo Framework for Action has fulfilled its mission, by creating basis
for DRR system and effective development of a culture of sustainability. Based on theseachievements, Armenia need to more constructively implement the priorities of the Sendai
Framework for Action 2015-2030.

2.6. Disaster Education and Human Resource Development: Current Situation of theTraining and Disaster Education in RA
In Armenia various governmental and other organizations have been involved in DRM
Education, within the framework of the HFA. MES of RA is an executive authority, which in linewith competences vested by laws and other legal acts, develops, implements and coordinates RA
government’s policy in the area of civil defense and protection of the population in emergency
situations.
The ARNAP Foundation (Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform), Crisis Management Center(CMC) and Crisis Management State Academy (CMSA) have been established for dealing withvarious aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction.
RSSP develops various means for earthquake disaster management:❖ develops the basic directions of state policy in the field of seismic protection;❖ provides seismic risk assessment;❖ coordinates activities performed in the field of seismic risk reduction in the territory of theRA;❖ organizes preparedness and training of the population to cope with strong earthquakes;❖ coordinates and controls the execution of the state programs in the field of seismic risk.
Basic tasks of seismic risk reduction are:❖ reduction of territories vulnerability;❖ raising population knowledge and preparedness;

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❖ training of trainers in government bodies and local authorities;❖ creation of earthquake early warning system;❖ ensuring medical preparedness;❖ organization of relief and rehabilitation of population and sustainable recovery;
The raise of knowledge and preparedness of population is provided by means of state training
system.
The state training system includes the following subsystems, which are done regularly:❖ training of target groups beginning from kindergartens and schools:❖ educational programs, methodical manuals, relevant interactive materials;❖ TV and radio programs, publications in mass media;❖ social-psychological preparedness.
The state training system ensures the reliability and availability of the given information.
The stage of recovery of a zone suffered from strong earthquake is the intermediate between thestages of an emergency seismic situation and reconstruction. The duration and the strategy ofrecovery stage defined by the Government RA.
The one of the main principles of the accomplishment of recovery works is based on thecreation of the conditions for population active participation in recovery works in the disaster zone.
The purpose of aid rendering to the population and its rehabilitation is psychological losses of thestate after an earthquake. Rendering of aid to the population and its rehabilitation is a multi-stage
process: operative (first few days), short-term (first month), mid-term (first year) and long-term(more than one year).
Rendering of aid to the population and its rehabilitation are based on the following principles:❖ preliminary planning of works amounts on rendering aid and rehabilitation before thecatastrophe and their adjustment right after the catastrophe❖ active participation of government bodies and local authorities and society.
Disaster education at kindergartens and schools

Source: RSSPFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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Source: RSSPThe Government RA established National Strategy of DRR in RA in March 2012, which
will be implemented by the mutual efforts of the following organizations: Armenian Red Cross,
Oxfam, UNICEF and Save the Children.
Disaster education at companies and municipalities

Source: RSSPThe Ministries of Emergency Situations and Education, Science, Culture and Sport, ARNAP
Foundation and CMSA frequently organize competition the "School Disaster Preparedness Plan".
On International Civil Protection Day of March 1, implements lecturs, trainings and drills.
Armenia collaborating with ADRC (since 2000) and JICA (since 2007) in the frame of various
projects and programs implements the research, education and training for the DRR specialists
who acquired and shared valuable Japanese experience.
Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport together with the Ministry of Emergency
Situations in the frame disaster risk reduction program will submit to National Assembly proposals
and additions for the Law “On Public Education” aiming at inclusion disaster risk reduction
elements in the school curricula.

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3. DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN JAPAN

3.1.

Natural Disaster Risks and Hazards in Japan
Japan is located in the Circum-Pacific Volcanic Belt or “Ring of Fire” where seismic andvolcanic activities occur constantly. Japan and its surrounding areas experience roughly a tenth of
all earthquakes that occur in the world. Of the world’s active volcanoes, 7%* exist in Japan. In
addition, because of geographical, topographical and meteorological conditions, the country is
subject to frequent natural disasters such as typhoons, torrential rains and heavy snowfalls, as wellas earthquakes and tsunami.

Every year there is a great loss of people's lives and properties in Japan due to natural
disasters. Until the 1960s, largescale typhoons with earthquakes caused extensive damage andthousands of casualties. Thereafter, with the progress of society's capabilities to respond todisasters and mitigate vulnerabilities to disasters by developing disaster management systems,
promoting national land conservation, improving weather forecasting technologies, and upgrading
disaster information communications systems, disaster damage has shown a declining tendency.

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In spite of such efforts, in 1995, more than 6,400 people died of the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake. Also, in 2011, more than 22,000 people died or went missing due to the Great East
Japan Earthquake.
Japan has suffered enormous damages due to repeated mega disasters since ancient times, atpresent the country is considered to be leader in disaster management because it has increased its
resilience every time a large-scale disaster is experienced.
Japan is one of the countries most affected by natural disasters. Two out of the five mostexpensive natural disasters in recent history have occurred in Japan, costing $181 billion in theyears 2011 and 1995 only. Japan has also been the site of some of the 10 worst natural disasters ofthe 21st century. The types of natural disasters in Japan include tsunamis, floods, typhoons,
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country has gone through many years of natural disasters,
affecting its economy, development, and social life.

3.2.

Recent Major Earthquakes in Japan
Japan has an infamous history of earthquakes. Deadly earthquakes are a tragic part of thenation's past. Japan is located at a point on the earth’s surface where four of more than 10 tectonic
plates covering the globe are crushed against each other, making it an archipelago with geographic
characteristics that make it susceptible to earthquake disasters. Japan has suffered great damages
from the massive inter-plate earthquakes produced by plate subduction (such as the Great East
Japan Earthquake of 2011) and the inland crustal earthquakes caused by plate movements (suchas the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995).

Source: White Paper on Disaster Management

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Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
The Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurredon Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST (16 January at 20:46 UTC) in the southern part of
Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale (USGS) and Mw 7.3(adjusted from 7.2) on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20 seconds.
The focus of the earthquake was located 16 km beneath its epicenter, on the northern end of Awaji
Island, 20 km away from the city of Kobe city.
Approximately 6,434 people lost their lives (final estimate as of December 22, 2005); about
4,600 of them were from Kobe. Among major cities, Kobe, with its population of 1.5 million, wasthe closest to the epicenter and hit by the strongest tremors. This was Japan's worst earthquake inthe 20th century after the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, which claimed 140,000 lives. It caused
approximately ten trillion yen ($100 billion) in damage, 2.5% of Japan's GDP at the time.
Most of the largest earthquakes in Japan are caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plateor Pacific Plate, with mechanisms that involve either energy released within the subducting plateor the accumulation and sudden release of stress in the overlying plate. Earthquakes of these types
are especially frequent in the coastal regions of northeastern Japan.

Source: WWW Google.ru. Images. Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake

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The Great Hanshin earthquake belonged to a third type, called an "inland shallow
earthquake". Earthquakes of this type occur along active faults. Even at lower magnitudes, they
can be very destructive because they often occur near populated areas and because their
hypocenters are located less than 20 km below the surface. The Great Hanshin earthquake began
north of the island of Awaji, which lies just south of Kobe. It spread toward the southwest along
the Nojima fault on Awaji and toward the northeast along the Suma and Suwayama faults, which
run through the center of Kobe. Observations of deformations in these faults suggest that the area
was subjected to east-west compression, which is consistent with previously known crustal
movements. Like other earthquakes recorded in western Japan between 1891 and 1948, the 1995
earthquake had a strike-slip mechanism that accommodated east-west shortening of the Eurasianplate due to its collision with the North American plate in central Honshu.
•

Great East Japan Earthquake
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku

earthquake or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 (Mw) undersea megathrustearthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on Friday, 11 March
2011, with the epicenter approximately 70 kilometers (43 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of
Tohoku and the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 30 km (19 mi). It was themost powerful known earthquake ever to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerfulearthquakes in the world overall since modern record-keeping began in 1900. The earthquake
triggered powerful tsunami waves, which reached heights of up to 40.5 meters (133 ft) in Miyako
in Tohoku's Iwate Prefecture, and which in the Sendai area travelled up to 10 km (6 mi) inland. In
addition to loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, the tsunami caused a number of nuclear
accidents, primarily the ongoing level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima I Nuclear
Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands ofresidents.

Source: WWW Google.ru Images. Great East Japan Earthquake

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The Mw. 9.0 earthquake at 14:46 and the series of large-scale earthquakes that followed had
resulted in multiple tsunami waves of unprecedented scales at the coastal areas of Hokkaido,
Aomori, Iwate Miyagi, Fukui, Ibaraki, and Chiba Prefectures. It has been reported that there wereseven tsunami waves over a six hour period. Waves became more turbulent and more powerful
upon reaching the inland areas. According to the experts, the fault rupture was about 500
kilometers long in a north-south direction and the tsunami waves hit the coastal areas fromdifferent directions, one crossing over the other, explaining the destructive power of the tsunami.

Source: WWW Google.ru Images. Great East Japan Earthquake

Several scientific investigations are being conducted concerning the scale of tsunami. Initial
survey by Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology found that tsunami waves had
reached the heights of 14 meters or 15 meters in many coastal areas, and as high as 38.9 meters in
Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture. This is higher than the previous record of 38.2 meters in Ofunato
City in the same prefecture during the 1896 Meiji Sanriku Earthquake Tsunami.2 It is generally
believed that timber houses will be destroyed by tsunami waves higher than 2 meters. By contrast,
concrete buildings can withstand 4 meters, or so, but will be destroyed if waves exceed 16 meters.
Additionally, survey conducted by Tohoku University found that tsunami waves had reached as
far as 5.5 kilometers inland of Sendai Plain. By using remote sensing technologies and GIS, theGeospatial Information Agency of Japan estimated the tsunami swamped areas to about 561 square
kilometers covering the hardest hit prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukui.
On 10 March 2015, a Japanese National Police Agency report confirmed 15.894 deaths,
6.152 injured, and 2,562 people missing across twenty prefectures, as well as 228.863 people living
away from their home in either temporary housing or due to permanent relocation. A 10 February
2014 agency report listed 127.290 buildings totally collapsed, with a further 272,788 buildings"half collapsed", and another 747.989 buildings partially damaged. The earthquake and tsunami
also caused extensive and severe structural damage in north-eastern Japan, including heavy
damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse. Japanese Prime
Minister Naoto Kan said, "In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest andthe most difficult crisis for Japan." The tsunami caused nuclear accidents, primarily the level 7

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meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, and theassociated evacuation zones affecting hundreds ofthousands of residents. Many electrical generators
were taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors
suffered explosions due to hydrogen gas that hadbuilt up within their outer containment buildings
after cooling system failure resulting from the lossof electrical power. Residents within a 20 km (12 mi)radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Plant and a 10 km (6.2 mi) radius of the Fukushima
Source: WWW Google.ru Images. Great East Japan Earthquake

3.3.

Daini Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated.

Laws and Legal Systems of DM in Japan
In order to applying to all of the disaster phases of prevention, mitigation and preparedness,

emergency response as well as recovery and rehabilitation, relevant laws and regulations wereenacted. It is a national priority to protect national land as well as citizens’ lives, livelihoods, andproperty from natural disasters. The turning point for strengthening the disaster management
system came into effect in response to the immense damage caused by the Typhoon Ise-wan in
1959, and led to the enactment of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act in 1961, which
formulates a comprehensive and strategic disaster management system.
Thereafter, the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act has constantly been reviewed andamended since its first enactment, and with lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake,provisions were added including enhancement of the measures concerning support activities
mutually done by local governments in 2012 and the measures for ensuring smooth and safe
evacuation of residents and improving protection of affected people in 2013. In 2014, provisions
were added for strengthening measures against unattended cars in order to promptly clear themfrom the roads for emergency vehicles. In 2021, in order to ensure smooth and prompt evacuationin the event of a disaster and strengthen the implementation system for disaster measures,
evacuation information was reviewed, individual evacuation plans were legalized, andconsultation rules for wide-area evacuation were established. In addition, the government has
taken measures such as making it possible to establish a disaster management headquarter fordisasters of a scale that has not been able to establish a national disaster response headquarters.

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Progress in Laws and Legal Systems since 1945

Source: White Paper on Disaster Management

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3.4.

Disaster Management
Japan has three administrative levels of governance; national, prefectural and municipal.

Each level of governments has its own disaster management organizations, policy frameworks andbudgets. When disasters occur, municipalities respond first. In case disasters are large in scale
beyond their capacity, national and prefectural governments provide every possible support.
Japan’s legislation for disaster management system, including the Disaster Countermeasures
Basic Act, addresses all of the disaster phases of prevention, mitigation and preparedness,
emergency response as well as recovery and reconstruction with roles and responsibilities among
the national and local governments clearly defined, it is stipulated that the relevant entities of the
public and private sectors are to cooperate in implementing various disaster countermeasures.
Along with a series of reforms of the central government system in 2001, the post of Ministerof State for Disaster Management was newly established to integrate and coordinate disaster risk
management policies and measures of ministries and agencies. In the Cabinet Office, which is
responsible for securing cooperation and collaboration among related government organizations
in wide-ranging issues, the Director-General for Disaster Management is mandated to undertakethe planning of basic disaster management policies and response to large-scale disasters, as wellas conduct overall coordination.

Source: White Paper on Disaster Management

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Basic Disaster Management Plan: The Basic Disaster Management Plan is a comprehensive andlongterm disaster management plan forming a foundation for the Disaster Management Operations
Plan and Local Disaster Management Plan. It stipulates provisions for the establishment of thedisaster management system, promotion of disaster management measures, acceleration of postdisaster recovery and reconstruction measures, and promotion of scientific and technologicalresearch on disaster management. The plan was revised entirely in 1995 based on the experiencesof the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. It defines responsibilities of each entity such as thenational and local governments, public corporations and other entities. It consists of various plansfor each type of disaster, where specific countermeasures to be taken by each entity are describedaccording to the disaster management phases of prevention and preparedness, emergency response,
as well as recovery and reconstruction. Further, based on the lessons learned from the Great East
Japan Earthquake, a new chapter was created in December 2011, for Tsunami Disaster
Countermeasures. Concretely, it reflects❖ a review of the Major Disaster Management Headquarters such as the rule to designate thePrime Minister as its Chief,❖ integration of evacuation recommendation and evacuation instruction into a single
evacuation instruction,❖ a duty of effort to prepare individual evacuation plans and so on.
In recent years, lessons from disaster responses and developments in measures as well as responses
to the COVID-19 have been taken into account for the revisions.

Source: White Paper on Disaster Management

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3.5.

Disaster Risk Reduction
Japan is located at a point on the earth’s surface wherefour of more than 10 tectonic plates covering the globe arecrushed against each other, making it an archipelago
susceptible to earthquake disasters. Nearly 12.6% of theworld’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater have occurredin or around Japan.
Japan has suffered great damages from the massiveinter-plate earthquakes produced by plate subduction (suchas the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011) and the inland
crustal earthquakes caused by plate movements (such as theGreat Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995).

Source: Data USGS

It has been pointed out with a great sense of urgency that Japan can be struck by large-scale
earthquakes in the near future, in areas such as Nankai Trough, the Japan and Chishima Trenches,and directly below Tokyo and the Chubu and Kinki regions. With regard to the Nankai TroughEarthquake, earthquakes around the ocean trench such as Japan Trench and Chishima Trench, andTokyo Inland Earthquake, the government designated the areas where disaster reduction measures
are to be taken in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. Also, the government isdeveloping a plan concerning how to accelerate disaster reduction measures by administrative
entities and private businesses.

Source: White Paper on Disaster Management

The Central Disaster Management Council has developed the Policy Framework for Largescale Earthquake Disaster Prevention and Reduction a master plan of the countermeasures for theFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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large scale earthquake, that includes a range of activities from preventive measures to post-disaster
response and recovery; the Earthquake Disaster Reduction Strategy, to determine an overarchinggoal of damage mitigation and strategic targets based on the damage estimation; and the Guidelines
for Emergency Response Activities which describes specific actions to be taken by relatedorganizations. It is possible that an earthquake other than these large scale ones can hit any placein Japan as with the cases in the past 30 years. A guideline for the countermeasures against
earthquakes by local municipalities has been compiled covering every step of the disaster response
levels (preparation, initial response, response, and recovery).

3.6.

Disaster Education and Human Resource Development
Education about disaster reduction is quite important for enabling individuals to have correctunderstanding about natural disasters, and be able to act on their discretion to prevent and reduce
damages from disaster. In the Great East Japan Earthquake, case of an elementary school was
reported to have safely evacuated based on their daily education of the past disasters and training
about evacuation. Thus, importance is recognized to enhance education and training at schools andin local communities so that people are nurtured to be equipped with correct understanding about
prevention and escape from the disaster.
In order for school children to be able to learn and acquire knowledge and practical skills
about disaster reduction, Fire and Disaster Management Agency has compiled “Challenge Disaster
Reduction 48” a textbook for school teachers and leaders. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and technology (MEXT) has enhanced contents regarding disaster reduction in the new
Curriculum Guidelines announced in 2017/2018. For example, during social studies for fourth
grade in elementary schools, local natural disasters that happened in the past are introduced, andstudents learn to think about what they should do and what items should be prepared by imagining
about a disaster that could happen locally. Further improvement with disaster management
education is promoted through development of materials such as “Guide to Make a Disaster
Reduction Manual for Schools (Earthquake and Tsunami),” and “Development of a Disaster
Reduction Education to Nurture Power to Live On,” providing guidance for disaster reduction at
schools.
Further, in order to enhance the disaster reduction education in local communities andschools nationwide, the Cabinet Office is carrying out a campaign “Disaster Reduction Education
Challenge Plan” to nurture positive environment for more proactive disaster reduction education
by picking up active local groups, schools and individuals who demonstrated better disaster
reduction plans and actions, give support to them, and publicize the achievements (including

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education methods, materials used, precautions, contacts), through the Office’s web site, intendingthat such plans and programs be widely recognized and utilized throughout the nation.
Human Resources Development. The Cabinet Office started a “program for developing
disaster management specialists” for the purpose of developing and training people “who can
respond to the emergency promptly and appropriately” and “who can form a network between thenational and local entities” Specifically, it provides training programs to employees of local publicorganizations who are engaged in services at the Cabinet Office and take lectures from variousorganizations related to disaster management. It also conducts training programs organized at the
Ariake-no-Oka Main Wide-area Disaster Management Base Facility, such as “Training oncomprehensive management” tailored for core management personnel level, Themed trainings for
specialists who are in charge of specific disaster field, and Basic training on disaster management
for those who have recently appointed as disaster management personnel. In addition, it organizes
trainings in various locations under a theme which is specific to characteristics of each location.
Disaster Reduction Drills and Exercises. In order to improve the disaster resilience of thecommunity and to reduce disaster damages, there must be close cooperation among individuals,
families, local community, businesses and relevant entities, to build momentum for a nationwide
movement. The Government has designated the 1st day of September as the “Disaster
Preparedness Day” and the week including this day as the Disaster Preparedness Week, and carriesout various events to raise awareness and readiness about the disaster. Disaster drills and “Disaster
Reduction Fairs” are held in various parts of Japan.
3.7.

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) was established in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture,in July 1998, with the following mission andobjectives: to enhance disaster resilience ofthemembercountries,

to

build

safe

communities, and to create a society where
sustainable development is possible. The
Center works to build disaster resilient
communities and to establish networks
among countries through many programs,
including personnel exchanges in this field.
Thus, the ADRC takes the leading role inpromoting Sendai Framework for Disaster
Risk Reduction (SFDRR) in Asia, with its
Source: ADRC

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related information”, “to train personnel of the member nations”, “to bolster disaster preparedness
in local communities.” So far, the ADRC has in its list 31 member countries, 5 advisor countries

Main activities of ADRC

and 1 Observer organization.

The ADRC Visiting Researcher Program: The Center invites visiting researchers from themember countries every year for the period of four months to exchange information on DRR ofeach country, inform them of the framework and policy of DRR in Japan, and promote
understanding of international cooperation in DRR and disaster risk management.
The researchers are provided with opportunities to discuss challenges for disaster management intheir respective countries, enhance understanding of the Disaster Management System, Disaster
Risk Reduction, and International Cooperation in Japan. Taking full advantage of the experiences
acquired through the program, the researchers are expected not only to contribute to strengthen
disaster management capacity in their countries, but also to further promote cooperation between
their countries and ADRC in disaster reduction activities.

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Experiences/Learnings and Knowledge Gained from the ADRC Visiting Researcher
Program:
1. Field Trips/Visits/Educational Tours
Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) provides meteorological information and is responsible
for contributing to the improvement of public welfare through natural disaster prevention andmitigation, safety of transportation, development and prosperity of industries, and international
cooperation activities. Its major activities include the issuance of warnings, advisories, andforecasts in short-range, one-week and long-range; dealing with the global environmental issues
such as global warming and ozone depletion; and provision of information on earthquake andvolcanic activities.
It monitors extreme natural phenomena, such as, earthquake, tsunami, typhoon, and heavy
rains; focuses its efforts on monitoring the earth’s environment and forecasting natural phenomenain the atmosphere, oceans and earth; and conducts research and technical development in relevant
fields.

Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
The post of Minister of State for Disaster Management was established to integrate andcoordinate disaster reduction policies and measures of ministries and agencies. In the Cabinet
Office, which is responsible for securing cooperation and collaboration among related governmentorganizations in wide-ranging issues, the Director-General for Disaster Management is mandated
to undertake the planning of basic disaster management policies and response to large-scaledisasters, as well as conduct overall coordination. The Cabinet Secretariat system was also
strengthened with the appointment of the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
and the establishment of the Cabinet Information Collection Center, to strengthen risk
management functions to address emergencies, such as large-scale disasters and serious accidents.

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Thereby, the Cabinet Office has a role in supporting the cabinet Secretariat regarding disastermanagement matters.

PASCO
Many countries in the world suffer enormous damage from natural disasters such as
earthquakes, typhoons and torrential rain. In Japan, the government has steadily implemented
disaster prevention measures including earthquake prediction system, river improvements andmaintenance of mudslide-control dams, but we are still often threatened by forces of nature far
beyond our prediction.
To protect people’s lives from such disasters and minimize the economic losses caused bydisasters, PASCO acquires emergency imageries of stricken areas by satellite and aircraft
immediately after the occurrence of a disaster. The imageries are used to grasp the range and extent
of the affected area and are utilized to prevent secondary disasters and enable smoothreconstruction work.

IMV Corporation
Introduction of Seismometer Technology
Giving evacuation instructions and stopping the facilities in the event of an earthquake havebeen mostly human-operated, which often resulted in inadequate response to the disasters.

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To resolve the issues listed above, IMV Corporation created high-reliability vibration test
systems. It makes prompt announcements to the area and vicinity, conduct safety shutdown of theequipment, and shut off gas and water valves on detecting the earthquake in order to limit thedamage and prevent the secondary disasters.
Assess the situations at normal times and post-disaster by checking the seismic isolation orseismic resistance of the large structures, and recording vibration waveforms caused by theearthquake or other factors.

Hokudan Earthquake Memorial ParkThe Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park (Museum) in Awaji Island has preserved the actualNojima Earthquake Fault which was caused by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. It
has become a great educational tool for all residents, students, and visitors of the Island. The
museum also features an earthquake monument, a fault preservation zone, trench display, etc.

Tsunami Storm Surge Disaster Prevention Station
Osaka is considered Japan's foremost industrial region but it sits on a low-ground coastal
area (below sea level); that is why different countermeasures (mitigation and preparedness
projects/programs) are being undertaken by the government to protect the residents in the vicinity,
such as anti-tidal measures, water contingencies, construction of dikes and floodgates.
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Ujigawa Open Laboratory
The Ujigawa Open Laboratory is a leading experimental laboratory in the word, where manykinds of hydraulic and sedimentation experments are carred out Those observation andexperimental facilities are widely used for various activitics by academic statts of DPRI educatton
for students, international academic,exchange, and some social events for professienal firefig
olcemen, government officers and school chiuren

Rokko Sabo Office
Rokko Sabo Office works to prevent disasters by building sabo dams to control the amountof sediment that flows downstream, planting trees on rough mountains, and carrying out
construction work on mountain slopes to prevent cliffs from collapsing increase. Sabo dams built
in the upstream areas of mountain streams accumulate
sediment and suppress production and flow of sediment.
During our field visit to Tamba city, observed the Sabo
works in the mountains. Those built at the exits ofvalleys work as a direct barrier to debris flow which has
occurred. A Sabo dam with slits is particularly effective
in capturing debris flow because it has a larger capacityof sand pool under normal conditions. In case that there
is a fear of flowdown of driftwood, a slit Sabo dam is built as a preventive measure.
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2. Educational, Informative, Worthwhile Activities/Programs/Experiences in Japan
Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution Earthquake Memorial Building

Earthquake simulation truck/shaking table earthquake experience

Earthquake Engineering Research Center "E-Defense"

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Hanshin Expressway Earthquake Museum

Ojiya Earthquake Disaster Museum

Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park

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3. Workshops/Trainings/Drills Attended
Annual Iza! Mikaeru Dai Caravan!
DRR Awareness Even

Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park
“Training directly under Tokyo 72h TOUR”.

International Recovery Platform (IRP)“International Recovery Forum 2023: Building Back Better and Long-term Recovery
Outcomes: Aspirations for a Resilient, Sustainable Future”

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Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2022

Community-Based Disaster Reduction Activities Using Hazard Maps
JICA CBDRM Training on Town Watching and Hazard Mapping, Shironoshita-dori, Kobe 2023
Start point

Discussing among participants

Sharing information on the map

Short report on Town Watching and Hazard Mapping,
Shironoshita-dori, Kobe 2023

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4. SEISMIC MONITORING, SEISMIC HAZARD, RISK ASSESSMENT AND
EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AS A PARTOF SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN ARMENIA
4.1.

Seismic Monitoring
RSSP is in charge of the seismic protection and seismic monitoring system. There are

multiparameter network of seismic observation and monitoring in Armenia.
He first seismic station in the territory of Armenia was installed late in 1931 and waslaunched in 1932. Since 1960, 4 regional stations were already operating in our territory. By the
beginning of the 1990s, 16 regional stations were already operating in Armenia.
After the devastating Spitak earthquake of 1988 with the purpose of increasing the accuracyof seismological observations, local networks of telemetry seismic stations were established in the
territory of Armenia, with data centers in “Gyumri”, “Vanadzor”, “Yerevan-NPP”, “Kapan”. The
networks are arranged around 4 major cities in Armenia. There are telemetric networks consistingof 8 stations around the cities of Yerevan and Gyumri, and networks consisting of 4 stations aroundthe cities of Vanadzor and Kapan. These networks are equipment with short period threecomponent sensors that cover a frequency band from 0.5 – 25 Hz. All four networks have theirown acquisition and processing centers which are connected to the main processing center in RSSP
(Garni).
1991 in the Garni geophysical observatory was installed The IRIS seismic station in thecooperation with USGS. This station included in the IRIS Global Seismographic Network (GSN)
and providing seismographic data to research earthquake hazard mitigation and the verification of
a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Since 2010, the seismological network has been fully upgraded in collaboration with the
USGS, the French CEA/DASE and the IAEA. In particular:
The IRIS seismic station was pgraded in the cooperation with USGS in 2010. It is broadband
seismic station equipped with STS-1 VBB seismometers and STS-2.
The Vayk seismic array was installed in the cooperation with the French CEA/DASE in 2010
in is located near to Vayk town. Seismic array consists of 6 observation points, located in two
concentric circles with one central site. Five one-component short-period seismometers are
installed. Besides, there is a broadband three-component station with STS2 seismometer.
Аnd also in the cooperation with the CEA/DASE installed GURALP type network: 6 Highperformance, low noise, compact, broadband 3T seismometers and 6 High performance, low noise,compact, broadband 5T accelerometers in the regions of Armenia: “KAMO”, “SRTK”, “LSVE”,“AYRK”, “EGV” and “ALVK”.

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In cooperation with the IAEA the seismic network in around the NPP has been upgraded.
Installed GURALP type seismic stations: 6 High performance, compact, medium-motion
broadband 6TD seismometers (“VNN”, “METS”, “ARU”, “AMB”, “KAP” and “NRK”).
Seismic Networks in Armenia

For earthquake monitoring, the existing earthquake observation network in RSSP now
consists of 14 seismic stations. The data are received to the Data Center on a real-time basis fromwhole stations homogeneously distributed in Armenia. Recorded data are transferred to throughvarious means of communication including satellite, internet etc. These networks were establishedto find out quickly precise earthquake locations and to conduct investigation on weak seismicity
in the territory of Armenia and adjacent areas. Due to these networks the lower representation
magnitude level in the National earthquake catalogue was reduced down to M<1.0 during recent
years.

4.2.Information about Earthquake
RSSP operationally monitors seismic activity throughout the country and adjacent areas andissues information to earthquakes. To monitor earthquakes, RSSP uses its seismic observation
network, as well as data from international (adjacent areas) seismic stations.
When an earthquake occurs, RSSP immediately determines its hypocenter, magnitude anddepth. If the earthquake is large enough and corresponds to the relevant approved documents in
the RSSP, information about its hypocenter, magnitude and observed seismic intensity isimmediately provided. RSSP issues Information in the following order:
After occurred earthquake the main earthquake parameters are defined and the first preliminary
announcement is being made (7 - 10 minutes), and after main parameters adjusting, the final
announcement is being made (10 - 20 minutes). Example of information provided:
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“On January 19 at 09:55 local time (at 05:55 by GMT), the Seismological Network of theRegional Survey for Seismic Protection of the MES of the RA recorded an earthquake at
the northern latitude 38.37⁰ and eastern longitude 44.81⁰ geographic coordinates (20 km
north from the city of Salmas, Iran), with 4.6 magnitude and 10 km depth. The tremor
measured magnitude 6 points at the epicenter area.
The earthquake was felt in the town of Agarak in Syunik Province with 2-3 points intensity.”.
The information is provided to disaster prevention authorities and reaches the public throughthe media and local governments.
RSSP also provides data to international organizations such as European-Mediterranean
Seismological Center (EMSC), International Seismological Center (ISC) etc.
Operative Estimation and Notification Of Earthquake Parameters

Source: https://www.emsc-csem.org/

4.3.

Seismic Hazard Maps
The new Seismic Hazard Maps for Armenia was prepared by the Consortium of AIR

Worldwide Corporation, GEM Foundation and GEORISK Scientific Research at the initiative of
the RSSP. Seismic hazard refers to the study of expected earthquake ground motions at the earth's
surface, and its likely effects on existing natural condit structures.
Seismic Hazard Map of the territory of the Republic of Armenia at the scale of 1:500.000
was prepared by probabilistic assessment for 500 m/s velocity of shear wave propagation in soils
within the RA area and 475 year return period, corresponding to a 10% probability of exceedancein 50 years. To perform a probabilistic analysis of the seismic hazard of the Republic of Armenia,
the latest geological and paleoseismological information on active faults, strain rates fromkinematic modeling of GPS data and all available earthquake data were used (historical, Early
instrumental and Instrumental periods).
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Source: Final report “Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for the Republic of Armenia”

The 1:500000 seismic zoning map of the RA is based on the same-scale probabilistic seismic
hazard map for the return period of 475 years of given intensity earthquakes and for 90%
probability of non-exceedance of the peak ground acceleration (PGA) intensity value in 50 years.
According to the seismic zoning map, the area of the RA was subdivided into Seismic Intensity
Zones I, II and III in ascending order of intensity covering, respectively, 50%, 40% and 10% of
the total country area. The PGA values expected within Zones I, II and III comprise, respectively,
0.3g, 0.4g and 0.5g.

Source: Final report “Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for the Republic of Armenia”

The new seismic hazard and seismic zonation maps of the territory of the Republic of
Armenia at a scale of 1:500,000 was approved by the order of the Minister of Emergency
Situationsof the Republic of Armenia and is a regulatory legal act. There maps was the basis fordeveloping new earthquake-resistant building code.

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5. SEISMIC MONITORING, SEISMIC HAZARD, RISK ASSESSMENT AND
EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AS A PARTOF SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN JAPAN5.1.

Seismic Monitoring
Seismic observation has a longer history in Japan than almost anywhere else. The

Seismological Society of Japan was founded shortly after the Yokohama Earthquake of 1880 by
the British scientist John Milne, an advisor to the Meiji government. This led to the developmentof the seismograph. Later, in the 1960s, Japan significantly expanded its observation network
under its national earthquake prediction program. The proposition of the Tоkai Earthquake theory
in the 1970s led to the development of an earthquake prediction system based on the detection ofpreslips, which may occur prior to the main rupture.
Japan is an earthquake-prone country in which the importance of earthquake observations,both for research and disaster prevention, has been well recognized. Official earthquake
observations in Japan first began in 1875 by JMA, which has conducted nationwide observations
ever since. Other organizations including universities and research institutes mainly perform
regional observations. National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience(NIED) has been conducting observations for nearly 50 years, including the Iwatsuki Crustal
Activity Observatory which began operations in 1973 with a 3510-m deep borehole, the Kanto andTokai Crustal Activity Observation Network, strong motion observation networks, and the
Sagami-Bay Sea Bottom Earthquake Observatory. Prior to the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the primary
focus of earthquake research was on short-term earthquake predictions, and observation resourceswere concentrated in designated regions that the Act on Special Measures for Large-Scale
Earthquakes deems to be particularly important, such as the Tokai earthquake area. However,based on the lessons learned from that earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami,
the earthquake observation policies in Japan aimed at disaster prevention were modified drasticallyto perform uniformly spaced earthquake observations all over Japan on land, as well as earthquake
observations on seafloors, in acknowledgement that earthquakes could occur anywhere in the
country at any time.
In the aftermath of 1995 Kobe earthquake the Headquarters for Earthquake Research
Promotion (HERP) was established to promote the fundamental survey and observation forearthquake research as a governmental policy. Regarding earthquake observations on land, NIED
has overall responsibility for nationwide earthquake observations based on the fundamental
earthquake survey and observation plans set forth by HERP in 1997. These observation networks
aim to promote earthquake mitigation and deepen our understanding of earthquake phenomena
through long-term evaluations of earthquake occurrences, evaluations of current seismic activity,
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seismic hazard assessments, and the rapid transmission of earthquake information for purposessuch as early warning. The fundamental earthquake observation networks in Japan are HighSensitivity Seismograph Network Japan (Hi-net), which consists of about 800 stations to observe
microearthquakes; Kyoshin Network (K-NET) and Kiban Kyoshin Network (KiK-net), which arestrong motion networks that operate about 1700 stations in total; and Full Range Seismograph
Network of Japan (F-net), which is a broadband network consisting of 73 stations that can observe
broadband seismic waves of up to several hundreds of seconds. Portions of these observation
networks have been in operation since as early as 1996, and most stations began operations in theearly 2000 summarized for Hi-net, F-net, K-NET, and KiK-net. To facilitate crustal deformation
observations, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) has expanded the GNSS Earth
Observation Network System (GEONET), which consists of about 1300 stations.
Regarding earthquake seafloor observations, that cable-type seafloor observation systems
for earthquakes and tsunamis had been installed by JMA (one off Tokai in 1979, one off Boso
Peninsula in 1985, and one off Tonankai in 2008), by NIED (Sagami Bay in 1996 and eastern halfof the Nankai area 2011 (DONET)), by Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo(ERI) (off eastern Izu in 1994, off Sanriku in 1995 and off Awashima in 2010), by Japan Agency
for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) (Muroto Cape in 1997, Kushiro andTokachi in 1999). Taking into consideration the overall situation after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake
and tsunami, the Japanese government decided to construct the Seafloor observation network forearthquakes and tsunamis along the Japan Trench (S-net) offshore of the Pacific coast of easternJapan.
Seismic Observation Networks in Japan

Source: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-020-01250-x

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NIED completed construction of S-net in March 2017, and began operating it for real-time
direct measurements of earthquakes and tsunamis using ocean bottom observation networks. S-net
currently consists of 150 observatories equipped with seismometers and pressure gauges linked
together by ocean bottom fiber optic cables. S-net is expected to provide prompt and accurate
earthquake and tsunami observation to increase lead time of warnings for offshore earthquakes,
and to contribute to a deeper understanding of offshore earthquakes. These observation data areshared with relevant organizations.

5.2.

Information about Earthquake
Japan Meteorological Agency operationally monitors seismic and volcanic activity

throughout the country and issues relevant warnings and information to mitigate damage causedby disasters related to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. To monitor earthquakes, JMA
operates an earthquake observation network comprised of about 300 seismographs and 700 seismic
intensity meters. It also collects data from over 3.700 seismic intensity meters managed by local
governments and NIED etc. The data collected are input to the Earthquake Phenomena
Observation System (EPOS) at the headquarters in Tokyo and the Osaka District MeteorologicalObservatory on a real-time basis. When an earthquake occurs, JMA promptly issues earthquake
information based on seismic intensity observations and determines its time of occurrence,
hypocenter and magnitude. If the earthquake is large enough to require emergency action by thegovernment and other related organizations, JMA issues Seismic Intensity Information in thefollowing order:❖ 1.5 min − Seismic Intensity Information
This information specifies the time of earthquake occurrence and identifies sub-prefectural
regions where seismic intensity of 3 or greater has been observed (issued within 90 secondsof the earthquake).

Seismic Intensity Information

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/

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This information specifies the hypocenter and magnitude with the information “No threat oftsunami” or “Sea levels may fluctuate slightly, but no danger is expected” for earthquakes
with a seismic intensity of 3 or greater (if no Tsunami Warning/Advisory is announced).
Earthquake Information

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/❖ After 5 min − Provides 2 types of information
1. Earthquake and Seismic Intensity Information
This information specifies the hypocenter and magnitude, and identifies sub-prefectural
regions and cities/towns/villages where seismic intensity of 3 or greater has been observed
and those where the estimated seismic intensity is 5-lower or greater but related observation
data are incomplete. This information is posted on the JMA website when seismic intensityof 1 or greater is recorded.
Earthquake and Seismic Intensity Information

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/

2. Information on Seismic Intensity at each site.
This information specifies the hypocenter and magnitude, and identifies individual sites
where seismic intensity of 1 or greater has been observed and those where the estimatedseismic intensity is 5-lower or greater but related observation data are incomplete.

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When earthquakes occur repeatedly, this information is issued only for those with a seismic
intensity of 3 or greater. The number of tremors smaller than this is included in theinformation on the number of earthquakes.
In JMA XML messages, “Earthquake and Seismic Intensity Information” is combined with
“Information on Seismic Intensity at each site”.
Information on Seismic Intensity at each site

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/❖ After 15 min − Estimated Seismic Intensity Distribution Maps.
When the observed maximum seismic intensity of is 5- or greater, JMA issues EstimatedSeismic Intensity Distribution Maps showing expected Seismic Intensity based on observation
data in consideration of site amplification to areas where seismic intensity of 4 or greater has
been estimated.
Estimated Seismic Intensity Distribution Map

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/

Such information is broadcast via TV, radio and other medias, and is also used to trigger
emergency action and emergency disaster control measures implemented by disaster-prevention
organizations.
JMA maintains state-of-the-art computer systems to enable these operations. JMA operates
two major computer systems; one is the Automated Data Editing and Switching System (ADESS)
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for the treatment of observational data and products, and the other is the Numerical Analysis andPrediction System (NAPS). ADESS is linked to individual JMA facilities for meteorologicalservices as well as various related authorities (including both the central government and local
governments) via exclusive landlines. To complement landline-based communication, JMA
installed a communication channel through the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (MTSAT1R) for the delivery of earthquake reports and tsunami warnings due to the urgency and level ofreliability required in disseminating such bulletins. NAPS is a super-computer system used for thecomputation of numerical weather predictions.

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/telecommunications.html

To cope with constantly increasing demand for computing performance and capacity, JMA
updates NAPS with the latest high-performance computer every five years, and the most recent
replacement was conducted in June 2018. ADESS and NAPS are collectively called the Computer
System for Meteorological Services (COSMETS), and constitute a comprehensive system for data
communication and processing.
In addition to its role as described above, ADESS also exchanges observational data andweather-related products with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs)
through the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), which is run under the WMO World
Weather Watch (WWW) Programme. JMA serves as a Regional Telecommunication Hub (RTH)
for the GTS Main Telecommunication Network, and is connected to World MeteorologicalCentres (WMCs), other RTHs and National Meteorological Centres (NMCs).
The Agency also operates a Global Information System Centre (GISC) and Data Collection
or Production Centres (DCPCs) of the WMO Information System (WIS) for the collection andFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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sharing of information for all WMO and related international programmes. See JMA’s WIS
Services for details of actual services.

Source: http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/telecommunications.html

5.3.

Seismic Hazard Maps
The Seismic Hazard Maps for Japan is prepared by a governmental organization, theHeadquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERP) to estimate strong motions caused byearthquakes that could occur in Japan in the future and show the estimated results on the maps.
They contain an enormous amount of information including the data required for mapping such as
seismic activity models, seismic source fault models, subsurface structure models, and othermodels.
The Seismic Hazard Maps for Japan consist of two types of maps different in nature:
1. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Maps that combine long-term probabilistic evaluations ofearthquake occurrence and strong motion evaluation,
2. Seismic Hazard Maps for Specified Seismic Source Faults (also referred to as Scenario
Earthquake Shaking Maps), which are based on strong motion evaluation for scenarios
assumed for specific earthquakes.
1. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Maps (PSHM)
PSHM are prepared by calculating the probability that a given site will experience groundmotion intensity exceeding a certain value within a target period. For this calculation, evaluationis conducted by using a probabilistic approach on the site of occurrence, probability of occurrence,and magnitude of all earthquakes that could occur in and around Japan, and the intensity of theground motions caused by those earthquakes are evaluated with variance. Seismic hazard
evaluation is conducted for each site and by fixing any two parameters of the ground motion
intensity, period, and probability, the value of the remaining parameter is obtained. PSHM show
the distribution of such values.
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The examples of PSHMs are maps of probabilities that seismic intensity exceeds the JMA
scale 5-, 5+, 6- and 6+ in 30 or 50 years, and maps of the JMA seismic intensity corresponding to
the exceedance probability of 3% and 6% in 30 years and of 2%, 5%, 10% and 39% in 50 years.
The figure shows a map showing the probability that each location will be affected by anearthquake with a JMA >= 6-Lower within 30 years.

Source: https://www.j-shis.bosai.go.jp/map/

2. Scenario Earthquake Shaking Maps (SESM)
Meanwhile, for earthquakes that occur at specified fault zones, SESM are designed toestimate the ground motion intensity around the faults at the occurrence of the earthquake andshow the results on the maps. SESM have enabled accurate estimation of near-fault strong motions
by simulating seismic wave propagation considering complex subsurface structure based on aphysics model of fault rupture. Although the estimation methods used here are very complicated,
the strong ground motion estimation method (Recipe) for earthquakes with specified source faults
has been developed as a result of standardizing the methods.
As a part of its studies on utilization of seismic hazard maps, the NIED has set up anengineering application committee (Chair: Hiroyuki Kameda) to explore into the issue. The
Committee's report recommends that the seismic hazard maps should be considered as a sharing
platform of the seismic hazard information by regarding the maps as a group of information
incorporating the underlying data used in the evaluation process, such as the seismic activity
models, seismic source models, and subsurface structure models, rather than mere maps as final
products. In order to put this recommendation into practice, NIED developed an open web system
for seismic hazard maps the name “Japan Seismic Hazard Information Station (J-SHIS)”. And so
J-SHIS was established to help prevent and prepare for earthquake disaster by providing a public
portal for seismic hazard information across Japan. It includes the new National Seismic Hazard
Maps for Japan which consist of PSHM for Japan with a 250 m mesh resolution and SESM based

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on detailed strong motion estimation of earthquakes occurring at major active fault zones, as wellas the deep subsurface structure models for Japan and 250 m mesh geomorphological land
classification models used for the required calculations.

5.4.

Earthquake Early Warnings System
Earthquake Early Warnings (EEWs) provide advance notice of estimated seismic intensities

and expected arrival times of principal motion just after an earthquake occurs. Although strong
tremors arrive quickly (within a few tens of seconds at most), EEWs are utilized in various
situations to mitigate earthquake-related damage by providing precious seconds before shaking
starts. EEWs can be either warnings or forecasts, depending on the criteria.

Source: JMA websites

JMA provides residents in Japan with EEWs. This is a system that issues prompt alerts justas an earthquake starts, providing valuable seconds for people to protect themselves before strong
tremors arrive. On 1 October 2007, JMA launched EEW service for provision through a numberof media outlets such as TV and radio.
EEW system provides advance announcement of the estimated seismic intensities andexpected arrival time of principal motion. This information is based on the estimated hypocenterand magnitude of the earthquake quickly calculated from the P-wave data obtained at seismic
stations near the epicenter. The P-wave is a longitudinal wave that propagates 6-7 km/s throughthe earth's crust, while the S-wave is a transverse wave that propagates 3.5-4 km/s through theFINAL REPORT ADRC VISITING RESEARCHER 2022

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earth's crust, arriving later and causing the more severely destructive phenomena. The time lag
between the P-wave and the S-wave can make it possible to mitigate earthquake damage byenabling disaster prevention actions to be taken before the major shaking begins (when the S-wave
arrives).
Flow of Earthquake Early Warning

Source: https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/earthquake.html

EEW is aimed at mitigating earthquake-related damage by allowing countermeasures suchas promptly slowing down trains, controlling elevators to avoid danger and enabling people toquickly protect themselves in various environments such as factories, offices, houses and nearcliffs. The period between EEW and the arrival of strong tremors is very short, i.e. a matter of
seconds (or between several seconds and a few tens of seconds).
Early Warning Dissemination Mechanism

Source: https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/how.pdf

As a result, areas that are close to the focus of the earthquake may not receive the EEWtransmission before strong tremors hit. There are limits to the accuracy of the Earthquake Early
Warning:•

In areas close to the hypocenter, Warnings may not arrive in time before strong shaking
hits.

•

EEW Seismic Intensity estimations have an error margin of ±1 or so.
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Warning accuracy may vary due to calculation with the limited data available immediately
after an earthquake.
The JMA has therefore built an online system that links relevant ministries and agencies,

local government bodies, and media organizations. The information issued by the JMA isconveyed to prefectures via local meteorological observatories, the Fire and Disaster Management
Wireless Networks, or regional satellite communications networks, and then conveyed tomunicipalities via prefectural systems. Municipalities have established their own disastermanagement wireless networks that enable authorities to directly transmit warnings andevacuation orders to residents. The most frequently used tools for disseminating information to thevery end users, the residents, are simultaneous wireless communications systems used withoutdoor loudspeakers or indoor private radio receivers.

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CONCLUSION
As large-scale natural disasters continue to occur around the world, there is a serious andgrowing need to improve natural disaster early warning capabilities. For natural disaster early
warning systems to be truly useful in mitigating disasters for those who are facing natural disasterrisks, they need to:✓ Enable the issuance of prompt and accurate early warning information based on moreaccurate, real-time measurements of various natural phenomena and scientific data analysis✓ Incorporate systems for sharing warning information among relevant organizations anddisseminating it to residents.
✓ Incorporate disaster reduction awareness outreach and education activities to ensure that
more timely and appropriate disaster reduction actions are taken based on the warning
information issued.
It is very necessary and important:✓ Information Sharing Among Relevant Organizations. The development of a quick andaccurate communications system is essential to the effective use of early warning
information.
✓ Partnering with the Telecommunications Industry. Given the usefulness of mobile
phones and the Internet in information distribution, and thus in crisis management andinformation exchange at the individual level, efforts are being made to actively promote
practical applications for the vast array of information technologies that have beendeveloped in recent years.
✓ Disaster Awareness. Outreach to reduce disaster-related damage, it is important to makeresidents of at-risk areas aware of safe evacuation methods and nearby evacuation routes
and sites ahead of time so that they will take appropriate actions based on early warning
information.
✓ Use of Hazard Maps. Municipalities have to create and distribute hazard maps that show
the are as most vulnerable to earthquakes as well as evacuation information.
EEWs provide advance notice of estimated seismic intensities and expected arrival times ofprincipal motion just after an earthquake occurs. The elapsed time between the issuance of the
EEW and the start of major shaking will differ significantly depending on a location's distancefrom the epicenter. EEWs may not be issued in time to areas located just above the hypocenter of
an inland earthquake. However, when a large earthquake occurs near an ocean trench, there may
be a time lag, albeit a very short one (ten seconds to several tens of seconds), between the issuanceof the EEW and the start of severe shaking. This may be just enough time to mitigate damage bytriggering emergency stops on trains, plant operations, and elevators, or even just by allowing

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people to take basic risk-reduction actions, such as extinguishing flames or taking cover under adesk.
To ensure that the best response measures possible are being taken against natural disasters
such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and torrential rainstorms, we need to conduct accurate
and widespread observations of phenomena occurring all over the world and to use those results
to develop better policies.
For example, in an effort to achieve a system for disaster crisis management that uses earth
observation satellites Japan is striving to cooperate and form ties with other countries in the AsiaPacific region while actively striving to develop a Disaster Management Support System in the
Asia Pacific Region.

Recommendation❖ To improve the earthquakes monitoring system, in particular, to create a single
interconnected system between the RSSP and the research institutes of the RA.
❖ Create on the earthquakes warning system using the Internet and mobile phones.
❖ Create a network of seismic intensity meters stations in Armenia

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