ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Three Years after the Tokage Typhoon of 2004

2

Contents
Abstract 4.........................................................................................................................4
Background 5..................................................................................................................5
The Tokage Typhoon Revisited 6 ................................................................................6
Three Years on: How do things stand? 7....................................................................7
Conceptual Background for Toyo‐oka’s Disaster Management Planning 7 .........7
Toyooka’s Disaster Management Plan......................................................................10
Bosai Anzen Ka（Disaster Management Department/Unit）14..................14
Seikatsu Kankyo Ka（Environmental Department/Unit）15.......................15
Toshi Seibi‐Ka, Kensetu‐Ka（Urban Planning andConstruction Department/Unit）18................................................................18
Norin Suisan Ka（Agriculture and Forest Management
Department/Unit）19........................................................................................19
Kanko‐Ka（Tourism Department/Unit）22....................................................22
Annexture......................................................................................................................24

Abstract
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Three Years after the Tokage Typhoon of 2004.
Considering the unusual severity of the Tokage typhoon that hit Toyooka in
2004, and of the typhoon season of 2004 as a whole, a number of initiatives were
undertaken by the city as a result – both to overcome the impacts of the disaster,and to further prevent/mitigate the negative impacts of climatic events such as
typhoons.
This publication, a follow‐up to the first version done within months of thedisaster, assesses and documents the longer‐term measures put in place by
Toyooka city as a result of the lessons learnt in the aftermath of the Tokage
Typhoon.
After three years, the documentation looks at the following issues:
•
•
•
•
•

The process of Toyo‐oka city’s recovery from the typhoon disaster
Problems faced during the last three years since the Tokage typhoon
disasterLong‐term disaster prevention measures put in place: Landslides,
waste/debris management, riverbank management etc.
Long‐term disaster preparedness measures put in place: community
awareness, evacuation procedures, disaster leadership etc.
Transferable lessons for other cities that face similar disaster events4

1. Background
Through its resolution A/RES/58/214, the United Nations General Assembly
convened the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR), that was held in
Kobe, Japan, from 18 to 22 January 2005. The Conference took stock of progressin disaster risk reduction accomplished since the Yokohama Conference of 1994
and to make plans for the next ten years. A key roadmap document emerging
out of WCDR was the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA)1.
As a contribution to the WCDR,
the United Nations Environment
Programe’s International
Environmental Technology Center(UNEP‐IETC) conducted anassessment of the environmental
consequences of the Tokage
Typhoon (Typhoon no. 23 of 2004)
that struck Toyo‐oka city, Hyogo
Prefecture – one of the worst
affected cities – on 20 October 2004

An aerial photo of the Tokage Typhoon over the Japan
mainland on 20 October 2004.

A report was produced using information collected from a field mission, andwas launched by the former Minister of Environment of Japan, Ms. Yuriko Koike
and UNEP’s former Executive Director, Dr. Klaus Toepfer, during the WCDR, in
the presence of Toyo‐oka’s Mayor, Mr. Muneharu Nakagai.
A number of key lessons learnt from the study included:• Need to raise awareness for integration of environment and disasterissues• Need to document and disseminate examples• Need to bridge gaps between knowledge and practice• Need to implement practical examples• Need to develop guidelines and tools on environment and disastermanagement• Need for continuous monitoring

1

Full text of the HFA can be downloaded at the following website:
http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr/intergover/official‐doc/L‐docs/Hyogo‐framework‐for‐action‐
english.pdf. Details of WCDR and its outcomes can be viewed at http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr

5

Annex 1 provides an executive summary of the report. The full report can be accessed

online as a PDF file at the following URL:
http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/wcdr/unep‐tokage‐report.pdf

2. The Tokage Typhoon Revisited
On Wednesday 20 October 2004, Typhoon Tokage (called the “Typhoon no. 23 of2004” in Japan), one of the deadliest storm in years, swept through most of thesouthern half of Japan. People were overcome by the massive waves and flash
floods triggered by the typhoonʹs heavy rains and strong winds, which left at
least 69 people dead, 20 missing and some
342 injured, out of which 66 were serious
injuries.

A local government official points to the level offlood waters (red line) as a result of the typhoon.
Such markers have been placed throughout thecity to remind residents of the dangers of
disasters.

The number of typhoon related casualties
was the highest in over a quarter of acentury, and it further destroyed fifty
homes, damaged 1,350 residences andflooded 26,800 others. Typhoon Tokage
was the tenth typhoon to make landfall inJapan in 2004. Storms and floods killedover 100 people in Japan that year,
resulting in hundreds of millions of yen indamage, highlighting once again theimportance of disaster management inboth Japan and in East Asia.

Coming just months before the World
Conference on Disaster Reduction(WCDR) that was to take place in January2005 in Kobe, Japan – the typhoon, along with the Indian Ocean Earthquake andTsunami disaster, was also a rude reminder of the vulnerability that people faced
to climatic events and ensuing disasters.

6

3. Three Years on: How do things stand?
Considering the unusual severity of the Tokage typhoon, and of the typhoonseason of 2004 as a whole, a number of initiatives were undertaken at thenational, prefectural and local levels, as a result – both to overcome the impactsof the disaster, and to further prevent/mitigate the negative impacts of climatic
events such as typhoons.
An assessment mission was planed to Toyo‐oka city to document the longer‐termmeasures undertaken by the city administration as a follow‐up to the typhoon,
and implementing the lessons learnt in the aftermath of the Tokage Typhoon.
After three years, the documentation looked at the following issues:
•
•
•
•
•

The process of Toyo‐oka city’s recovery from the typhoon disaster
Problems faced during the last three years since the Tokage typhoon
disasterLong‐term disaster prevention measures put in place: Landslides,
waste/debris management, riverbank management etc.
Long‐term disaster preparedness measures put in place: community
awareness, evacuation procedures, disaster leadership etc.
Transferable lessons for other cities that face similar disaster events

4. Conceptual Background for Toyo‐oka’s Disaster Management Planning
Over the years since the Tokage Typhoon of 2004, Toyooka underwent a numberof administrative changes – key among them being the merger of fiveneighbouring cities/towns into one larger urban area, under the banner of‘Toyooka city’. The towns that were absorbed into and consolidated as Toyooka
city were: Izushi, Kinosaki, Hidaka, Banto and Takeno. This significant change
created additional impetus to develop a comprehensive disaster management
plan for the ‘new’ and expanded Toyooka.
The responsibility of administering the new Toyooka city was reflected in theviews of the Mayor of Toyooka, Mr. Muneharu Nakagai. The Mayor outlined his
basic 4‐point strategy to develop and sustain the growth of Toyooka. It isinteresting to see this strategy as a guiding philosophy that influences and steers
local policies, including that of disaster management.

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The 4‐point strategy covers:(1) Emphasis on local endemism (as city’s survival strategy) – many local cities
look same in Japan. There is a need to focus on locally specific history andcharacteristics as a ‘survival’ strategy. For example, Toyooka uses oriental
storks, which roost in the city, as a symbol of the city.
(2) Living in peace strategy – development that is based on long‐term prospects,
while maintaining the importance of tradition. This is probably opposite to
the anonymity of large megacities such as Tokyo (which is also called as‘amnesia city’ due to the fact that things change or move quickly in Tokyo)(3) Innovation from tradition – Real new innovation draws its inspiration from,and is derived from local tradition. Linked to the first point on local
endemism, preserving the local tradition becomes an issue for the city’s
revitalization.
(4) Sustainability – Traditional knowledge and ways of doing things havealready the test of time and of sustainability over generations. This is thereason why traditions continue to survive even today. The emphasis andinterlinks between sustainability and traditional ways of doing things is an
integral and interesting part of the strategy.

Photos showing floating debris from nearby mountains and forests that blocked rivers anddamaged bridges on the left, and well maintained rivers and embankments on the right.

For Toyo‐oka, disaster management is therefore looked at from such strategic
urban planning scenarios – where both positive and negative aspects ofdevelopment and nature are taken into account. (For example, the Maruyama
river, which runs through the city, has a very small gradient, which enables8people to enjoy boating and other water sports, but at the same time increases
the potential risk of flooding).
The three pillars on which Toyooka city’s urban planning and development isbased on, are:(1) Shizen ni idakare te ikiru (“Living life that is embraced by nature”)(2) Cherish the moment and enjoy everyday life(3) Take responsibility for future
Such conceptual visions have been a critical part of Toyooka’s planning
processes for the future, whether for the next 10 years, or for medium/short term
development plans (three to five years). While the emphasis on traditional values
as a counter force to ‘anonymous modernization’ has been a key to Toyooka’s
image of itself, the problems of the larger environment, such as climate change,
cannot by ignored by the city. As the Mayor said in his interview, “I would say it
is important to fit it into the local
nature. The answers are always in
the past. For example, acid free
agriculture is our tradition but its
technology is completely new.”
The need to create a unique image
and vision for Toyooka was also
driven by the merger of theneighbouring towns into Toyooka.
An old photo of Toyo‐oka, dating from the 60s, showing the
The Mayor strongly felt thatsymbiotic relationship between farmers, farm animals andwild oriental storks.
focusing and nurturing local
tradition was the right strategy forthe city. He citied the case of a junior high school student who told him that ‘…
the merger is a good thing because the circle of helping hands would increase,
while at the same time locally specific culture would not disappear. Like in theEuropean Union … ’Such thinking has also influenced the disaster management strategies of the city,
according to the Mayor. With the new city, when disasters such as typhoons
approach, local officers are asked to return to their respective home regions totake emergency decisions such as evacuations etc. Due to the larger
administrative area after the merger, swift monitoring/evaluation has become
necessary, and decisions need to be taken as close to the disaster area as possible.
9The need for disaster education in schools has also taken on added importance –for example, every year, one day is designated as a “Back to Nature” Education
Day in nursery, elementary and junior high schools. Textbooks for teachers andstudents are also being prepared, aiming to nurture ecological ethics in thechildren.
5. Toyooka’s Disaster Management plan
The City of Toyooka established its Disaster Prevention Plan in 2006, and adocument was prepared and issued by the Toyooka City Disaster Prevention
Council.
After the Typhoon number 23 of 2004, the idea of “ Protect our lives by our joint
efforts” was formed and the threebasic precepts –1. Realize that disaster
inevitably happens,
2. Act for damage mitigation,
3. Treasure local community
power
were used to create disaster‐resistantHearings organized with city officials to discuss their
Toyooka City. These ideas areplans for disaster management in Toyo‐oka city.
reflected throughout the Toyooka
Disaster Prevention Plan, and detailed and concrete information and guidelines
are provided in the area of flood, storm, earthquake, tsunami, snow damage andlarge‐scale accidents.
It is expected that the Plan work as guidelines to prevent future disasters andmitigate damages when they occurred, and inspire citizens and communities toactively and spontaneously involve in disaster management.

Toyooka Disaster Prevention Plan:“Protect our lives by our joint effort”
The manual consists of six chapters as below.
Chapter 1: General Rules

10Chapter 2: Disaster Prevention Plan
Chapter 3: First‐aid measures against flood and storm
Chapter 4: First‐aid measures against earthquake and tsunami
Chapter 5: First‐aid measures against snow damage and large‐scale accidents
Chapter 6: Disaster Recovery Plan
Chapter 1:
Chapter 1 defines the purpose of the Toyooka Disaster Prevention Plan (“…toprotect citizen’s life, health, and assets by establishing and promoting
comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation measures”), and provides
overall ideas for disaster prevention and mitigation in Toyooka City. The mainidea “Protect our lives by our joint effort” is explained, and the three basic
precepts (1. Realize that disaster inevitably happens, 2. Act for damage
mitigation, 3. Treasure local community power) are discussed.
The Chapter also discusses damage estimates of hypothetical earthquakes,
tsunamis, floods, and tidal waves to reinforce and improve disaster
preparedness.
It predicts vulnerable areas and degree of damages both personal and physical.
Detailed information on each community’s vulnerability to floods andlandslides, as well as information on community shelters and their stock of food,water etc. are available as an annex of this chapter.
Chapter 2:
Following the General Rules discussed in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 discusses theDisaster Prevention Plan in six sections.
These sections are:1) Damage mitigation management
2) Solid disaster preparedness
3) Improving local disaster prevention and mitigation measures
4) Adjusting infrastructure for damage mitigation
5) Passing the experience to the future6) Other disaster preparedness measures
In each section, it shows the “division/organization‐in‐charge” and outlines theactions to be carried out. For example, in section 2, Department of General

11

Affairs and Fire Department of the City and FM Tajima, a radio station, is
responsible for collecting and spreading the news of disasters. The Departmentof General Affairs appears in almost all sections as the headquarters of disastermanagement. Other groups, such as Department of Construction, local business,
hospitals, doctor’s association, fire stations, and local disaster management
organizations are also listed as responsible bodies according to each disastertheme.
Chapter 3,4 & 5:
These Chapters provide countermeasure guidelines in the case of flood andstorm (Chapter 3), earthquake and tsunami (Chapter 4), snow damage and large‐
scale accidents such as nuclear power plant accident (Chapter 5).
Same as Chapter 2, each section of each chapter shows the division/organization‐in‐charge, and outlines the actions to be carried out. Each chapter describes
information flow within the headquarters/City, cooperation with relevantorganizations such as Hyogo prefectural government, Japan Self‐Defense Forces
and police, as well as rescue and evacuation measures, treatment for food,housing, utilities, medical care and the wastes generated. It also discusses
restoration of school education and psychological treatment for children andadults after the disasters.
Chapter 6:
Chapter 6 talks about City’s responsibilities in helping citizens recover from thedisasters. It mainly discusses post‐disaster financial assistance, such as
condolence money from the City, extension of tax payment deadlines, reducing
or exempting payment of tax, fees and utility bills to lighten financial burdens ofdisaster victims. Low‐cost financing for disaster victims for their housing andbusinesses are also discussed.

Toyooka’s Disaster Management Plan is operationalized by a process in which
detailed and ‘micro’ plans are devised by a number of local entities,
governmental, non‐governmental, and community‐based.
To understand this process, the following persons/entities were interviewed anda hearing organized to document their responses:

12

•
•
•

Bosai Anzen Ka（Disaster Management Department/Unit）
Seikatsu Kankyo Ka（Environmental Department/Unit）
Toshi Seibi‐Ka, Kensetu‐Ka（Urban Planning and Construction•

Norin Suisan Ka（Agriculture and Forest Management Department/Unit）
Kanko‐Ka（Tourism Department/Unit）

Department/Unit）•

Besides the above local government entities, the following organizations werealso interviewed:
•
•

•
•

Shobodan (Fire fighting community group）
Jishubosai soshiki (Community‐based disaster management group）
Kodomo Kyoiku Ka（Education Department）
Nitta Shogakko（Ni a Primary School’s Project E）

Assessment and Lessons learnt
The format for developing a disaster management plan at the local level isprovided by the central government. Each city/town/village in Japan has totherefore develop a comprehensive plan to prevent, mitigate and prepare forvarious disasters that they potentially face.
As shown in the box above, the Plan document is quite comprehensive, covering
a range of issues related to risks and hazards that Toyo‐oka faces andcountermeasures that are needed to be put in place.
Besides the contents and format of the plan itself, two key features of Toyo‐oka’splan provide interesting lessons – (a) the process of developing the plan in itself
provided a number of opportunities for the city administration to review raiseawareness of its residents and integrate it into various other development
activities, and (b) a number of organizations and entities, both governmental andnon‐governmental, adopted the plan to develop further and more micro plans
for the respective communities they served or lived in.

The following five sections provide an insight into various local entities andorganizations that have adopted and operationalized the disaster management
plan. It also provides valuable lessons for cities in the region that are planning to
adopt similar measures.

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1. Bosai Anzen Ka （Disaster Management Department/Unit）

uch was learnt from the Tokage Typhoon of 2004. The main problems
encountered by the city, according to the officials of the department,was (1) the low rate of evacuation by residents despite warnings issued
by the city, (2) lack of systematic and concerted information sharing andresponse, and (3) inter‐organization coordination within
the city.

M

As a result of the above problems,
the department has improved its
evacuation drills and information
sharing process. This includes
more intensive interaction with thelocal communities to organize
drills, and provision of emergency
radios to every household in thecity.

Low‐lying areas near the Maruyama river that are now
being closely monitored for potential flooding during
heavy rains and typhoons.

A detailed disaster management plan (reviewed above in Box 1) was prepared by
the department, which was then intrapolated into ten localized hazard maps andplans. The three core components of the plan rests on the city office being
responsible for disaster preparedness, the city’s urban service agencies being
responsible for developing/implementing the response mechanism, and thecommunity at large being responsible for disaster awareness and education.
The importance attached to disastermanagement was also reflected in the
upgrading of the head of thedepartment to be under the Mayor’s
office, effectively making the headequivalent to a Vice Mayor.

The Maruyama river today, with its strengthened
embankments that is also a place of attraction for
local residents to relax.

But challenges still exist – the key beingthat the plan focuses more on
preparedness issues in the shorter term,
and not on prevention/mitigation issues

14

of the longer term, particularly of anticipating future disasters or climate change
issues. Disaster management is still implemented in isolation, and is not
integrated into the 10‐year development plans of the city as a whole.

Assessment and Lessons learnt
A key aspect of the follow‐up measures after the Tokage Typhoon, was theenhancement of the role that the Disaster Management Department played, andits proximity to senior management officials of the city, including the Mayor’s
office itself (the head of the department in fact reports directly to the Mayor – achange from previous practice, where the department was part of theconstruction department.
The key feature of the plan is outlining of the specific and enhanced roles thatcity service agencies have to play in the case of a disaster. This division of labouris critical and provides interesting lessons for other cities in the region – It also
includes citizens and community organizations.
In the Plan, the city office is itself responsible for disaster preparedness as awhole, while the city’s different urban service and infrastructure agencies are
responsible for developing and implementing the disaster response mechanism.
The community at large also has a role to play in being responsible for disasterawareness and education.

2. Seikatsu Kankyo Ka（Environmental Department/Unit)

ith the huge volume of wastes generated during the Tokage Typhoon,
one of the key areas focused on by the department is that of waste
generated during future disasters. Specifically, the effectively
separation of wastes, its temporary storage and proper disposal and recycling.

W

The department quickly learnt that clearing off the waste debris is a criticalpriority for rebuilding programme to commence. The awareness of local
residents on waste separation and proper disposal is a critical starting point for
speedy recovery after a disaster.

15

The department strongly felt that there was a need to put in place a Disaster
Waste Treatment Plan, which it developed and implemented in May 2006. Someof the key features included:
•

•

•

•

Separate different types of wastes at three levels, (1) in front of the houseitself by the resident or by volunteers, (2) in the designated temporary
waste‐dumping site by the waste department, and (3) in the final
incinerator by the waste management company.
The prior designation of vacant areas a temporary holding of waste
debris for further processing to berecycled or processed/incenerated.
Agreement between neighbouring
cities and cities in the region to
help each other to dispose waste
in the aftermath of a disaster.
Determine and designate thecategories of waste that
residents/volunteers will have toseparate into, forrecycling/processing.
Daily waste separation of wastes that is also done withdisaster debris, enabling easy clearing and processing ofwastes.

There were many additional steps that the
department was planning to take in the
future, or was not doing currently. These included:••••

Simulation exercises to determine the kinds and volumes of waste
generated after different kinds of disasters
Development of waste management plans on future disaster scenarios,and not based on past experiences alone.
Strengthen the intrinsic link between waste plans and disastermanagement plans
Increase awareness among residents on issues related to disaster debris
and the role that they have to play in effective and speedy waste clearance
for recovery

16

Before‐and‐after photos of a temporary debris storage area. The area is now a designated for temporary waste
storage after disasters.

Assessment and Lessons learnt
Many of the lessons learnt from the clean‐up in the aftermath of the Tokage
Typhoon has been adopted and incorporated into the disaster management plan.
Effective and timely clearance of waste and debris was a key focus of thedepartment as a critical pre‐condition for the residents to recover from a disaster.
An important measure taken by the department is the development andimplementation of a disaster debris clearance plan.
As outlined in the text above, besides the preparation of a basic disaster waste
management plan, some of the features that can be adopted by other cities in theregion include (a) a system of separation of wastes into its component streams,(b) designation of temporary waste handling sites, (c) agreement between
neighbouring cities’ waste management departments to help each other in thecase of a disaster
The future plans outlined by the department also provide insight into measuresthat can be taken by a city’s waste management agency to also handle disasterdebris.

17

3. Toshi Seibi‐Ka, Kensetu‐Ka（Urban Planning and Construction
Department/Unit）
he Urban Planning andConstruction Department of
Toyo‐oka city is primarily
responsible for the overall physicaldevelopment and growth of the city.
The department felt that its key role indisaster management programmes lay
in reconstruction plans after a disaster,and in future development plans that
influence the ability of a community to
mitigate and prevent disasters.

T

Balancing different land‐uses such as agricultural lands,
housing, infrastructure (for example, the pump house above),and residential housing (in the background) is a criticalobjective to sustain the economic growth of Toyo‐oka.

The key operating mechanism of thedepartment is the 10‐year Mater Planfor the city, outlining the land use andzoning patterns, transportation routes etc. Within the process of developing theplan, several potential vulnerability issues can and has been incorporated in thedesigns and plans, including safe neighbourhoods, disaster facilities, localizedplans for prevention, hill development etc.

Downtown area of Toyo‐oka city

The department still faced a number ofchallenges, including the fact that only
60 percent of the current area of
Toyooka was actually planned, and theother 40 percent remained ‘unplanned’.
It was also of the opinion that links tolocal economy and to construction
investment that inherently took disasterissues into account, needed to bestrengthened.

18

Assessment and Lessons learnt
Vulnerability of communities to risks and disaster events are primarily caused asa result of the proximity of human settlements to such hazards and risks.
Infrastructure and urban development processes can either increase this risk, or
help mitigate it.
An in‐depth internal assessment carried out by the department has resulted in abetter understanding of the intrinsic linkages between infrastructure and urban
development, and disaster hazards/risks for their programmes and projects. An
important outcome of this assessment is the resultant stronger integration ofdisaster risk mitigation measures into the department’s medium and long termplanning processes.
The opinions and views expressed by the department also highlight theimportance of involving the private sector in ensuring that disaster risk
reduction is made an integral part of the construction and development processof a city.
The ‘unplanned’ areas of a city – particularly those used by lower income
households, continue to pose a challenge to most local governments, andillustrate the importance of involvement of local community groups and NGOs
assisting them in disaster planning and preparedness exercises.

4. Norin Suisan Ka（Agriculture and Forest Management Department/Unit）
he Agriculture and Forest Management Department is responsible for theplanning and management of forests and agriculture lands in and aroundthe Toyo‐oka city. Linked to the national Ministry of Agriculture, Forests
and Fisheries, the department is Ultimately, an assessment of the damages
caused by the 2004 Tokage Typhoon showed that a key cause was the improper
pruning and maintenance of the forests that surrounded Toyooka, eventuallyleading to their flooding the rivers and breaching the dykes.

T19

A better understanding of such interlinkages
has led the department to focus its attention
also on disaster management issues, withoutloosing the focus on its ‘regular’ issues suchas improving the natural environment,
fostering environmentally friendly
agriculture etc.
The Department, for example, has designed a
special eco‐label, based on the city;s symbol –the oriental stork ‐ as a logo. Agriculture
produce that is ‘friendly’ to the storks and do
not damage the environment is designated asa “Stork Firendly” item – an eco‐product.
Balancing agricultural land‐use andforests/mountains is critical for long‐term
recovery. Photo shows agricultural fields
recovered after extensive silting.

It has also taken action to petition the national Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (MAFF) to designate Toyooka as a ‘BioMass Town’2. The city’s
biomass town strategy calls for the revitalization of forestry and improving
access to forests.
The department has promoted Shimin Kumiai or forestry cooperatives among
the residents in order to network and improve access of the community toforest’s resources and to create jobs
during the off‐season.
The ownership registration of properties
in forests and nearby areas was also
considered important by the department
in order to facilitate community
involvement in maintaining forests in thelonger term. A corporate ‘green tax’ wasalso implemented to revitalize themountains and forests on a continual
basis

Forests surrounding Toyo‐oka city that is targeted
for better maintenance to reduce debris being
washed into the river along with the run‐off.

Challenges that the Department faced were essentially related to a lack ofawareness and appreciation of the links between proper maintenance of the local
2

More information on Japan’s Biomass town initiative can be found on the MAFF website at:
http://www.maff.go.jp/20environment, and the potential externalities in disaster prevention andmitigation. It was obvious that much more needed to be done to increase theknowledge and awareness both within the department as well as with various
stakeholders in the public, private and community sectors of the city.
Assessment and Lessons learnt
The key cause of flooding during the Tokage Typhoon was the run‐off fromnearby by forested mountains surrounding Toyo‐oka city, which blocked rivers
and inlets to streams, and consequently resulting in a breach of the riverembankments.
This understanding and post‐disaster assessments has provided the department
with valuable lessons, as outlined above, for it to better mitigate and be preparedfor disasters in the future.
Improving access to nearby forests, and streamlining ownership of pockets offorested lands are cornerstones of the policies that other cities can learn from. For
Toyo‐oka, such an approach has brought the local community closer to theforests, and hence to closer monitoring of potential degradation and maintenanceproblems.
It also includes a more systematic integration of the city’s image and vision intofeatures derived from the forests, mountains and agricultural areas thatsurround the city.
A key challenge that the department continues to face, and so will other cities
adopting such an approach, will be the lack of awareness of the local
communities and hence their active participation and involvement in thedepartment’s activities to reduce/mitigate the disaster risks and hazards that
Toyo‐oka faces.

21

5. Kanko‐Ka（Tourism Department/Unit）

As a city that extensively depended on domestic tourists for its economic growth,
tourism plays a very important role not only in the economic sense, but also inpreserving traditional assets and ways of living.
For example, Izushi is well known in the region for soba (buckwheat) noodles
and pottery; Kinosaki is famous for hot springs and crab dishes; Toyooka itself iswell known as a roosting place for the almost extinct oriental storks.
But disaster events such as the Tokage Typhoon severely affected the city.
During the typhoon, there was a 30 percent drop in tourist arrivals in Toyooka,
and the city has not yet recovered, even now, to the pre‐typhoon levels. Massmedia unfortunately played a critical role in creating an image that discouraged
travelers from coming to Toyooka.

Photos of festivals and events organized in Toyo‐oka

This is why the department has increasingly focused on local events, traditions,products and features as attractions for visitors, but simultaneously also
promoting an image of ‘safety’ and ‘ecologically friendly and secure city’ byoffering farmers’ day events, homestays, eco‐tourism etc. For example, a small
town such as Toyooka will soon play host to a group of 400 students from China.
The successes of all these initiatives depend heavily on proper disastermanagement and safety of not only the local residents, but also of tourists –during and in between disasters. The need to balance the environmental impactsof tourism on a fragile local environment was also a concern of the department.

22

Assessment and Lessons learnt
A key lesson learnt from Toyo‐oka’s Tourism Department is the role that tourism
inflows play in enhancing the city’s image and the pride that local residents havein the city. This will consequently increase the pressure to take measures thatwill ensure safety of the city’s assets and residents/visitors during a disaster.
The plans of the department in integrating environment, safety and local culture,and in projecting this impression to the outside world is an important lesson thatcan be transferred.
The fact that tourism programmes/plans in themselves have a role to play indisaster management – in bringing about greater participation of the local
community in enhancing the city’s image, and in ensuring safety and security, isan important lesson to be understood.

23

Annex 1
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND
DISASTER PREPAREDNESSLessons Learnt from the Tokage Typhoon(Typhoon 23 of 2004) in Japan.

UNEP, 2005. ISBN 92-807-2543-2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The impacts of disasters, whether natural or man-made, not only have humandimensions, but environmental ones as well. Environmental conditions may exacerbate
the impact of a disaster, and vice versa, disasters tend to have an impact on theenvironment. Deforestation, forest management practices, or agriculture systems canexacerbate the negative environmental impacts of a storm or typhoon, leading tolandslides, flooding, silting and ground/surface water contamination – as illustrated by
the 2004 hurricane and storm tragedies in the Haiti, and in the Philippines.
We have only now come to understand these cyclical causes and impacts and realizethat taking care of our natural resources and managing them wisely not only assuresthat future generations will be able to live in sustainable ways, but also reduces the risks
that natural and man-made hazards pose to people living today. Emphasizing andreinforcing the centrality of environmental concerns in disaster management has
become a critical priority, as advocated by UNEP, requiring the sound management of
natural resources as a tool to prevent disasters and lessen their impacts on people, theirhomes and livelihoods. Thus, understanding of current practices of disaster
preparedness has to intrinsically incorporate environmental management issues.
Meteorological and hydrological events, such as typhoons, are hazards that cause
heavy rain, high wind and sea surges. But the real damage also happens due to thevulnerability of the people who lie in its path. Post-disaster assessment of hurricanes
and typhoons have clearly illustrated that, along with disaster preparedness, proper
management of the environment – its air, land, water, forests, and wastes, go a long way
in reducing the risks and vulnerabilities associated with typhoons.
The recent spate of typhoons to hit Japan in 2004 – a record of ten typhoons, out of a
total of 29 made landfall – has put the country in the spotlight for disaster preparedness.
The Tokage typhoon (Typhoon No. 23 of 2004) hit the Japanese islands from 19 to 21
October 2004, leaving a trail of damage and destruction. It was the worst typhoon for2004. While the impacts was heavy – 93 dead with more than 490 injured as of 29
November 2004 – extensive damage was avoided due to the various levels of
preparedness and mitigation measures that were in place at the national, prefectural andlocal levels.

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Compared to typhoons that usually strike Japan, Tokage had a number of characteristics
that increased its impact, including strong wind speed and gradually increasing energy,
deflection from usual typhoon paths, and the fact that the hardest hit areas were affectedduring the night. The combination of these factors worsened the impact of the typhoonon people, infrastructure, leaving small cities particularly vulnerable.
As a part of the preparation of this report, UNEP carried out a field survey in Toyo-oka
city in Hyogo Prefecture, one of the worst affected cities. There were a number of factorsthat resulted in extensive damage in Toyo-oka city, including, extreme rainfall and rapid
rise of river water within short period; failure of the pump system; collapse of the dyke
system; critical timing of peak rainfall; low evacuation rate; management of reliefmaterials etc.
With respect to the local environment and ecology, Toyo-oka city also faced a number ofchallenges, particularly related to landslides and its effect on the topography, extremely
high volume of waste debris, high percentage of electrical waste, silting of river andwater systems, high volume of waste plant debris and logs, effects on the local ecology
and effects to the local economy.
A number of lessons were learnt from the Tokage typhoon in Toyo-oka with respect toinfrastructure management (related to management of dykes, forests, river basins etc.)
policy, strategy, and planning (related to policy integration, development of plans andprogrammes, knowledge dissemination, and training), and community activities (related
to community awareness and action, and local preparedness).
The degree of preparedness that Japan has put in place for disasters in general provide
some important lessons for policy development and action in other countries facing
similar disasters. These include:• Need to raise awareness for integration of environment and disaster issues• Need to document and disseminate examples• Need to bridge gaps between knowledge and practice• Need to implement practical examples• Need to develop guidelines and tools on environment and disaster management• Need for continuous monitoring
This UNEP report is a collaborative effort of the UNEP Disaster Management Branch in
Nairobi, Kenya and the UNEP International Environmental Technology Center in Osaka,
Japan. It was developed in cooperation with the UNEP-OCHA Joint Unit in Geneva,
Switzerland.
It forms part of a series that will be developed on the interlinkages between
environmental management and disaster preparedness. Lessons learnt and theenvironmental know-how that reduce the vulnerability and risks will be covered in futurereports, including measures relevant both at the national and local levels.
The overall lesson emerging from this study is clear – a number of good environmental
management measures are in place in Japan, as in many countries, but these have to
be studied in greater detail, in light of the needs of disaster management. It is imperativethat environmental knowledge is integrated into the prediction, prevention, risk reduction,assessment and response policies.

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