Disaster prevention projects are designed to ease the vulnerability to various natural disasters including typhoons, floods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions. Post-disaster restoration projects include the dispatch of emergency aid teams and cooperation with NGOs. Here are some disaster prevention and post-disaster restoration cooperation projects implemented in fiscal year 2003.

Droughts, snow disasters and other meteorological disasters in Mongolia over the recent years have inflicted great damage on its economy including the livestock farming industry. Large-scale snow disasters hit Mongolia in 1999 and 2000, killing more than five million domestic animals. Many rural nomads suffered great damage. In Mongolia, local weather stations were too outdated to provide any accurate weather information. Japan then provided grant aid to upgrade equipments at local weather stations and to improve telecommunications networks. This has allowed local weather stations to collect accurate weather data and to receive weather information for all of Mongolia. They can now make appropriate preparations for incoming meteorological disasters.

The Greater and Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea have been frequently hit by large hurricanes causing floods and other disasters. Because of shortages in human resources, materials and technology for disaster prevention, the local government had been failing to work as a comprehensive disaster management agency. Under a technical cooperation project launched in 2002, Japan has provided the Antilles with assistance in controlling disasters including floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Japan has also helped the Antilles make hazard maps specifying areas hit by disasters in the past. In 2003, Japan dispatched experts to the Antilles in the short term to conduct a Japanese-developed anti-disaster drill simulated on a map for administrative officials in charge of disasters and local volunteers. These assistance activities have allowed disaster management agencies and local residents to discuss actions on their own and improve their disaster prevention capabilities and consciousness.

In addition to such disaster prevention assistance, Japan has developed a system of international emergency assistance to rapidly dispatch rescue, medical team and post-disaster rehabilitation experts in response to large-scale overseas disasters under the "Law Concerning Dispatch of Japan Disaster Relief Teams." In fiscal year 2003, Japan dispatched Japan Disaster Relief teams seven times (199 members of rescue, medical and expert teams (including Self-Defense Forces personnel for transportation)) and provided emergency relief goods in 15 cases. Japan spent a total of approximately 702.7 million yen on these activities. The affected countries have expressed thanks to Japan for these emergency relief activities.

Japan has also cooperated with NGOs in post-disaster restoration assistance. For example, the government cooperated with the Japan Platform, an emergency humanitarian assistance body established by the business community, NGOs and the government when a massive earthquake hit Iran in December 2003. The government then financed rescue operations using search-and-rescue dogs and free supply of blankets, tents, stoves and other bare necessities, while the private sector provided funds for building and operating FM radio stations in disaster-hit areas.

Recent international developments regarding disaster prevention and post-disaster restoration have included

Operations of an advance team dispatched by the Japan Platform in response to an earthquake in Iran.