Directly after the disaster, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) removed overflowing sediment, contributing to early resolution of isolated settlements, and then provided new sediment control dams and other facilities to mountain stream areas that were seriously destructed by debris flows.

In addition, MLIT conducted an aerial survey to confirm the damage status by helicopter, and researched mountain streams with specialists in sediment-related disasters. MLIT reported the research results and offered advices on the alert and evacuation system to the Mayor of Nikko.

## (i) Fundamental Countermeasures against Sediment-related Disasters

Large-scale sediment discharge from devastated mountainous areas can cause serious damages to important community facilities such as downstream towns, roads, and railways. Construction of sediment-related disaster prevention facilities is being promoted to prevent large-scale sediment discharge from devastated mountain areas and riverbed rise in the downstream area, and to protect lives, property, and important community facilities from the damages by sediment discharge.

## (ii) Emergency Countermeasures against Sediment-related Disasters in Sediment Disaster Affected Areas

In order to ensure safety and security, and to maintain and promote socio-economic vitality in the areas where sediment-related disasters caused loss of life and great damages to people's living, concentrated construction of sediment-related disaster prevention facilities for preventing recurrence of disasters is being promoted.

## (iii) Countermeasures against Sediment-related Disasters to Protect Those Requiring Assistance during Disasters

People requiring assistance during disaster such as the elderly and children who cannot evacuate by themselves are liable to suffer the damages by sediment-related disasters. Among the dead and missing of sediment-related disasters, the percentage of people requiring assistance is high. So, in order to protect social welfare facilities, medical facilities, etc., for people with special needs, construction of sediment-related disaster prevention facilities such as sediment control dams is promoted in a focused manner.

In accordance with the Act for Promotion of Measures to Prevent Sediment Disasters in Sediment Disaster Alert Areas, etc., (Sediment Disaster Prevention Act), measures combining structural and non-structural elements are being promoted, such as by restricting development pertaining to facilities used by persons with special needs and stipulating the names and addresses of facilities used by persons with

special needs in sediment-related disaster hazard areas and matters relating to the transmission of information on sediment-related disasters in municipal plans for the prevention of local disasters.

## (iv) Countermeasures against Sediment-related Disasters for Urban Areas Near Mountain Base Slopes

For urban areas near mountain base slopes, forestry bands are fostered as green belts on the mountain base slopes adjacent to urban areas to enhance sediment-related disaster safety and maintain and create urban environments and landscapes with abundant greenery.

## (v) Countermeasures against sediment-related disasters for Slopes Near Roads

Slope disaster prevention measures are taken for the slopes which have a risk of landslide near roads.