bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earthquake Disasters and Earthquake Engineering in Japan
Authors: Omote Syun'itiro ,   Kyushu Sangyo University, 3-1 Matsukadai 2-chome, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-8503, Japan
Published: April 2016

Major earthquakes occur somewhere every year with accompanying devastations. For example, the center of the city of Managua was destroyed completely in December 1972 with the loss of more than 15,000 lives. Government buildings also did not escape destruction which brought about a paralysis in Governmental functioning for a short time. In April of the same year, in Iran an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 attacked the town of Ghir causing the loss of 5,000 lives. Large earthquakes accompanied by large losses of life occur frequently in Iran. Another type of earthquake destruction was caused in Peru in 1970 resulting in the loss of more than 50,000 lives under a huge mud slide that accompanied the big earthquake. In 1971, the San Fernando Earthquake, in the U.S.A. caused very heavy damage to the modern reinforced concrete buildings and highway overpasses calling serious attention to the devastation which might be brought about in modern large cities if a destructive earthquake should occur. The figure for lives lost by the San Fernando earthquake was small, assisted by the extremely lucky time of the occurrence of the earthquake at 6 A.M., when daily activity had not yet started. In 1968 an earthquake occurred in the city of Manila, the Philippines, crashing down completely an apartment house burying 260 people under the debris together with the destruction of many large reinforced concrete buildings. In the same year another big earthquake occurred in the northern part of Japan causing very heavy damage to the reinforced concrete buildings, all of which had been designed to resist earthquake force according to the Japanese regulations for antiseismic design. Repeated destruction of reinforced concrete buildings by earthquakes in recent years has caused a questioning of construction engineering. Such heavy destruction as experienced by reinforced concrete buildings in this earthquake (buildings which were designed and constructed under the antiseismic regulations) raised serious discussions among Japanese earthquake engineers which call for urgent studies. In Table 1 is shown a list of earthquakes that have resulted in heavy destruction since 1960. It may be surprising to find that about 20 earthquakes are included in the table showing that an average of three earthquakes of a destructive nature occurs somewhere on earth every two years. According to UNESCO statistics, between 1926 and 1950 over 350,000 people were killed by earthquakes, and the damage to buildings and public works totaled nearly $ 10,000 million. In proportion to the spread of urban civilization throughout the world, the toll taken by these destructive earthquakes has been steadily increasing and will increase more rapidly in the future. The only way to ensure against these substantial economic losses is to design and build, and to strengthen existing buildings, in such a way that the structure will resist the seismic forces to be expected in each area.
Damage and Height Distribution of Sumatra Earthquake-Tsunami of December 26, 2004, in Banda Aceh City and its Environs
Authors: Tsuji Yoshinobu ,   Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Tanioka Yuichiro , Matsutomi Hideo , Nishimura Yuichi , Kamataki Takanobu , Murakami Yoshikane , Sakakiyama Tsutomu , Moore Andrew , Gelfenbaum Guy , Nugroho Sindhu , Waluyo Budi , Sukanta Inyoman , Triyono Rahmat , Namegaya Yuichi ,   Faculty of Natural Sciences, Hokkaido University,   Faculty of Engineering and Resource Science, University of Akita, Akita City, Japan,   Active Fault Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Science City, Ibaragi Ken, Japan,   Kansai Electric Power Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan,   Fluid Science Division, Central Research, Institute of Electric Power Industry, Abiko city, Chiba Ken, Japan,   Kent State University, USA,   U.S. Geological Survey,   Meteorological and Geophysical Agency, Indonesia
Published: April 2016

A huge earthquake of magnitude M 9.0 occurred at 00:58 (UT), December 26, 2004, in the sea off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, followed by a huge tsunami that hit almost all coasts facing the Indian Ocean. We conducted a field survey in the residential area of Banda Aceh, the town of the severest damage by the tsunami, on the west coast of the northernmost point Sumatra, Sigli City, about 80 kilometers east of Banda Aceh three-four weeks after the event. In Banda Aceh, almost all houses in the residential area about 2 km from the coast were swept away, while houses more than 3 km rarely were. Inundation continued about 5 to 6 km from the shoreline. In Lhoknga and several villages on the west coast of Sumatra Island near Banda Aceh, where tsunamis 15 to 30 meters high hit coastal villages, nobody survived. Along the valley about 1 km north of the cement plant, seawater rose to a height of 34.8 m above MSL, which is the highest recorded inundation measured in our survey.
Field Survey of the Tsunami Caused by the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of December 26, 2004 and the Restoration of Impacted Inland Water Bodies in Sri Lanka
Authors: Wijeyewickrema Anil C. ,   Department of Civil Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, Inoue Shusaku , Gunaratna Priyantha , Madurapperuma Manoj , Matsumoto Hiroyuki , Miura Hiroyuki , Sekiguchi Toru ,   Department of Built Environment, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan,   Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka,   Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan,   Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan,   Department of Architecture and Building Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Published: April 2016

The magnitude 9.0 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on December 26, 2004, was one of the world's largest since 1900. The devastating tsunami resulting from it caused more casualties than any previously reported tsunami. This paper describes two field visits to assess tsunami damage in Sri Lanka by a team of Japanese and Sri Lankan researchers and environmental restoration plans for tsunami-impacted inland water bodies. The first field visit, Dec. 30, 2004-Jan. 04, 2005, covered western, southwestern and southern Sri Lanka and included the cities of Beruwala, Pereliya, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Talpe, Matara, and Hambantota. The second field visit, March 10-18, 2005, covered northeastern, eastern, southeastern and southern Sri Lanka and included Trincomalee, Kuchchaveli, Pasikkudah, Batticaloa, Arugam Bay, Yala (National Park), and Kirinda. Eyewitness information on wave arrival times is also discussed.
Global Disaster: The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
Authors: Imamura Fumihiko ,   Disaster Control Research Center, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan, Koshimura Shunichi , Goto Kazuhisa , Yanagisawa Hideaki , Iwabuchi Yoko ,   Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aoba, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
Published: April 2016

The typical mechanism behind the generation and propagation of the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami is introduced through computer graphics, showing how it propagated across the ocean. The damage it caused in countries on the Indian ocean is summarized to suggest the lessons to be leaned in mitigating similar disasters in the future. And we investigated its impact on not only coastal community but also the environment, including coral and vegetation by a field survey and cover research required in tsunami engineering.
Recent Developments in Liquefaction Research Learned from Earthquake Damage
Authors: Kokusho Takaji ,   Civil Engineering Department, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
Published: April 2016

The current understanding of mechanisms for liquefaction failure is briefly reviewed based on previous investigations and case studies on recent earthquakes. The liquefaction-induced failure modes addressed include free surface settlement, the settlement of shallow foundations, uplift in buried structures and lateral flow. Of these, lateral flow failure, the mechanism of which remains poorly understood, is focused on by introducing different viewpoints of soil mechanics. Special attention is paid to recent findings on the void redistribution effect due to soil stratifications that may explain extremely large flow displacement even in soils on the dilative side of the steady-state line.
Floods - Are We Prepared?
Authors: Knight Donald ,   Civil Engineering Department, The University of Birmingham,  Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK, Cao Shuyou , Liao Huasheng , Samuels Paul , Wright Nigel , Liu Xingnian , Tominaga Akihiro
Published: April 2016

Flooding in the USA and elsewhere, as well as issues related to climate change, have again alerted politicians and scientists to the dangers that floods pose. This article, written by international river experts from several countries, is aimed at giving readers an insight into what engineers are currently doing to understand the underpinning science, to improve hydrodynamic flow models and to develop better flood risk management procedures. It reviews fluvial flooding from a European perspective, describes recent R&D studies in the UK, China & Japan and highlights the need for more international collaboration.
Earthquake Observation and Strong Motion Seismology in Japan from 1975 to 2005
Authors: Koketsu Kazuki ,   Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan, Miyake Hiroe
Published: April 2016

We review earthquake observation and strong motion seismology in Japan over the three decades starting in 1975. Preceding the 1995 Kobe earthquake, earthquake prediction research programs played an important role in earthquake observation research. The devastating damage from this earthquake, however, forced a change in emphasis from empirical shortterm prediction to long-term forecasting of earthquakes and the prediction of strong ground motion. Nationwide observation networks were set up, and progress in strong motion seismology was applied to projects of national seismic hazard maps. The next disastrous earthquake may even force their reexamination in the near future.
Flood Disaster in Japan
Authors: Inoue Kazuya ,   Osaka Research Institute, Foundation of River and Watershed Environment Management, 2-4-7-217 Yanagawa, Ohtsu-city, Shiga 520-0014, Japan
Published: April 2016

Progress against flood disasters since the end of Word War II has shown that although human casualties have sharply decreased, material damage has not, despite improvements in flood control facilities. This is partly due to the increased concentration of buildings, infrastructures, and other assets in urban areas. Both natural and social factors are listed, and the implementation of suitable flood control policies is indispensable to saving lives and mitigating disasters in the future. Urban flood disasters are focused as a new type disaster explained in detail, stressing a combination of structural and non-structural measures and wide-area development accounting for both rivers and their entire basins to distribute the load in terms of flood control policy.
A Century of Countermeasures Against Storm Surges and Tsunamis in Japan
Authors: Shuto Nobuo ,   Advanced Research Institute for the Sciences and Humanities (ARISH), Nihon University, 6F Ichigaya Tokyu Building, 2-1 Kudan-kita 4-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073, Japan
Published: April 2016

The countermeasures against storm surges and tsunamis in Japan are briefly reviewed covering roughly the last century. In spite of 22,000 deaths resulting from the Meiji Great Sanriku Tsunami just before the 20th century, neither central government nor local governments took effective countermeasures. The first positive countermeasures were taken by the central and local governments after the Showa Great Sanriku Tsunami and the Muroto Typhoon in early 1930s. The Seashore Act was enacted in 1956. After the 1959 Ise Bay Typhoon and the 1960 Chilean Tsunami, it has been the general practice to construct coastal dikes 5-6 m high as defense countermeasures. Tsunamis exceeding this height are met by combining structures, tsunami-resistant town development and defense systems. Quantitative tsunami forecasting announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency is currently state-of-the-art globally in terms of swiftness, preciseness and details.
Damage and Reconstruction at Okushiri Town Caused by the 1993 Hokkaido Nansei-Oki Earthquake Tsunami
Authors: Shuto Nobuo ,   Advanced Research Institute for the Sciences and Humanities (ARISH), Nihon University, 6F Ichigaya Tokyu Building, 2-1 Kudan-kita 4-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073, Japan
Published: April 2016

The Hokkaido Nansei-Oki Earthquake Tsunami that struck Okushiri Island off western Hokkaido, Japan's northeasternmost island in 1993 killed about 200 in Okushiri Town, which had a population of less than 4,000. Damage totaling over yen 66 billion was a severe blow to the community, which had an annual budget of only yen 5 billion. The tsunami was caught by the island and struck the Aonae district on the southern tip from both the west and east. Based on an experience from tsunami in 10 years earlier, it was thought that a tsunami would arrive more slowly than this one did, which increased the human toll. Fire caused by the tsunami increased losses. Among reconstruction efforts, remarkable are an artificial ground and cordial assistance based on monetary donation.
Countermeasures Against Biological Terrorism (Bioterrorism)
Authors: Shinoda Sumio ,   Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science, Ridai-cho, Okayama 700-0005, Japan
Published: April 2016

Since the September 11, 2001 act of terrorism to the World Trade Center in New York City and subsequent acts of anthrax terrorism in the USA, public concern about bioterrorism has increased. Although the use of biological weapons in biowarfare between nations has not achieved dramatic effects, their use for terrorism is thought to be effective because it easily causes panic among the general public. Unfortunately, our understanding of and preparations to combat bioterrorism in Japan are still inadequate. The production and stockpiling of bioweapons are easier than of chemical or nuclear weapons. There are many diseases/agents utilizable as bioweapons, such as anthrax, smallpox, plague or botulism. Natural outbreaks of these diseases are rare, therefore many medical facilities and staff have no experience in handling them. The adaptation of systems against bioterrorism is a pressing need for national and local governments.
Special Issue on Meteorological Disasters and Water Disasters in Urban Areas
Authors: Shuto Nobuo ,   ARISH, Nihon University, 6F Ichigaya Tokyu Building, 2-1 Kudan-kita 4-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073, Japan, Ikeda Syunsuke , Egashira Shinji ,   Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
Published: April 2016

Immediately after World War II, economic and human losses due to water disasters were enormous in Japan. In the years of 1947 and 1953, for example, economic loss reach 10% of personal income, and the number of lives lost in the 1959 Isewan Typhoon exceeded 5,000. The Japanese government then implemented successive 5-year flood control plans that dramatically reduced such disasters. Economic loss by flooding now is on the order of 0.2% of personal income, and fewer than 100 lives are lost per year. The situation has begun changing in the last decade, however, ostensibly due to global warming and local climatic change such as the heat island phenomenon. The most typical change is the increase in heavy precipitation. Meteorologists sometimes call 1997 the turning point in climate change. The year 1998 was one of extreme heavy rain in Japan, with downpours exceeding 100 mm/h occurring 10 times and those of 50 mm/h almost 440 times. The record for 50 mm/h was broken in 2004, when some 470 such downpours occurred. Another marked change has been the increase in the fluctuation of precipitation, suggesting that drought may follow floods as a typical pattern portending major water disasters in the future. Lifestyle changes are another factor inducing water disaster. Increased urban populations inherently induce concentrated land use, paving of land surfaces, hazardous living conditions, etc. Frequent urban flooding and high underground use in Japan increases the danger for inundations. Wind disasters are also increasing. In September 2006, a tornado in Nobeoka, Kyushu, killed 3 people. In November 2006, another tornado struck Saroma, Hokkaido, killing 9 workers when a construction company's meeting room was destroyed. Polluted material transported long distances by wind is a big problem in Asia. Smoke from forest fires and chemical pollutants increasingly endanger people outside of the countries of origin, spreading throughout the continent and to islands beyond. This issue reviews recent meteorological and hydrographic disasters in urban areas that threaten to become major problems in the 21st Century.
Snow Damage in Contemporary Japan – Progress and Measures –
Authors: Numano Natsuo ,   Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama-kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai 982-8577, Japan
Published: April 2016

We review snowfall disasters, the transition of snow damage in contemporary Japan and its social background, and progress in measures against snow damage. After reviewing how snow damage has changed with social change, we summarize features of contemporary snow damage. We discuss snow damage in 1963, 1981, 1996, and 2006 as examples typical of snowfall disasters, damage conditions, and measures and issues involved. Increasingly sophisticated urban functions have aggravated urban snow damage, urban building reform basically has lagged, and snow damage has recently threatened even the existence of mountainous area suffering due to a shrinking, aging population.
Recent Trends and Future Projections in Asian Air Pollution
Authors: Uno Itsushi ,   Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga Park, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan, Ohara Toshimasa , Yamaji Kazuyo , Kurokawa Jun-ichi ,   National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan,   Frontier Research Center for Global Change, JAMSTEC, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0001, Japan
Published: April 2016

We studied trends in Asian air pollution in recent decades using air-quality monitoring station data, satellite retrieval data (GOME NO2), and regional-scale chemical transport model (CTM) simulation. A newly developed annual Asian-scale emission inventory (REAS) from 1980-2003 was used in observation data analysis and CTM. Analyses of recent trends in annual emissions in China by REAS and satellite GOME NO2 show an 8-10% increase after 2000 suggesting the impact of long-range transport of secondary air pollutants in regions and countries downwind. Detailed analyses of O3 observation data in Japan suggest an annual averaged O3 concentration increase of 2% yr-1 due to this long-range transport. We extended our regional air quality study targeting 2020. REAS provides three emission scenarios for China: the reference case (REF), the policy success case (PSC), and the policy failure case (PFC). Projected REF emissions for 2020 show O3 concentrations rising to 75 to 90 ppbv in June and 75 to 85 ppbv in August over the North China Plain. Projected PFC emissions bring an increase of monthly averaged O3 with greater than 20 ppbv (1 ppbv yr-1 growth) in the North China Plain. Surface O3 under the PFC scenario is enhanced by 6 to 8 ppbv over the Korean Peninsula and by 2 to 6 ppbv in Japan from 2000 to 2020 despite the reduction of NOx in Japan. This may become a critical level in air quality in Asia.
Examples of Recent Floods in Europe
Authors: Knight Donald ,   Professor of Water Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK, Samuels Paul ,   Technical Director, Water Management Department, HR Wallingford, Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8BA, UK
Published: April 2016

Some significant flood events that have occurred in various European countries in the last decade are described. They are used to illustrate the widespread nature of flooding, its economic impact and the resultant loss of life. The underlying hydro-meteorological causes of each flood are outlined, followed by a brief chronology of the flood event and the subsequent consequences. The flood events have been drawn from countries with differing climatic conditions, and from river basins that differ in both size and topography. The selection includes floods from the following countries: the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland and the UK. The events include examples of both flash floods and slower basin-wide floods. The important lessons that may be drawn from these events are highlighted, as are the economic impacts such floods might have in the future due to climate change.
High-Rise Building Fires
Authors: Kohno Mamoru ,   Research Coordinator for Quality Control of Building Building Department, National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM), 1 Tachihara, Tsukuba, Ibaraki-Ken 305-0802, Japan
Published: April 2016

High-rise buildings play important roles in densely populated urban areas. Those over 100 m high serve as offices, hotels, and residences. Unfortunately, fires will happen in high-rises, and, because of their size, it is difficult to determine that a fire has occurred except on the floor where it has started and is even more difficult to evacuate residents if fire spreads. The collapse of such large buildings itself may adversely affect urban functions. We discuss the risks of fires in high-rise buildings and measures to be taken based on reviews of cases in high-rise buildings in Japan and the investigation of an office building in Spain that collapsed during a fire.
Survey of Literature on Escape from Underground Spaces
Authors: Tanaka Atsuko ,   National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan
Published: April 2016

Based on a survey of the literatures on 22 cases of evacuation from underground spaces, we analyze and discuss the effect of hazardous factors on escape. These cases involve road tunnels, railway tunnels, mines, and construction sites. The types of disaster include fire, automobile collision, electrical power failure due to earthquakes, and terror-based occurrence. Our analysis shows that evacuation success or failure depends on (1) urgency of the event and (2) the distance required to reach shelters or exits, regardless of how underground facilities are used. Based on the analysis of these two factors, we concluded that the maximumdistance of safe evacuation is within 400 m. We compared urgency and rescuer access time in disasters involving power failures in underground spaces. In the case of power failures, the risk to human life, and the need for immediate escape are small. In some fires, the contamination of escape routes is far faster than rescuers can arrive, and survey results show the importance of measures and designs for self-escape, especially in underground spaces.
Accidents at Hazardous Installations in Japan
Authors: Tsuruda Takashi ,   Special Disaster Research Group, National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster  4-35-3 Jindaiji-Higashimachi, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8508, Japan
Published: April 2016

We review recent accidents at hazardous installations in Japan using reports from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster of Japan. The number of reported accidents (fires and hazardous material leakages as defined in Japan) has been increasing since 1994. Researchers have studied a variety of fires and explosions to identify their causes and improve the management of hazardous materials and installations. Attentions have been widely focused on the Refuse Derived Fuel silo explosion in August 2003 and Tomakomai tank fires in September 2003. Two accidents that were beyond the scope of fire prevention plan at that time.
Protecting Area of Traditional Wooden Construction from Fires Due to Earthquakes Using Local Water – Plan and Implementation of the Project on Environmental Water Supply System for Disaster Prevention –
Authors: Okubo Takeyuki ,   Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Published: April 2016

We hold that potential natural water use in urban areas must be improved to develop an environmental water supply system (EWSS) for disaster prevention. Such uninterrupted water supply systems could protect cities with large numbers of wooden structures from fire due to earthquake and preserve the urban water environment. Our research focused on two examples of water supply system projects -- a gravity-based water supply system in Shirakawa-go and an open irrigation channel system in Kanazawa City, We propose planning and management with the research results of two examples for model projects in Kiyomizu as an important historical district in Kyoto. The EWSS concept opens the way for a sustainable water environment and the restoration of cities while maintaining cultural beauty and safety for the benefit of future generations.
Special Issue on Recovery from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
Authors: Ogawa Yujiro
Published: April 2016

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 revealed the vulnerability of modern cities to earthquakes, not in the damage to structures but also to the lives of people, local communities, and the economy. As a result, recovery and reconstruction have become indispensable to all aspects of modern cities. With the earthquake almost 12 years in the past and recovery and reconstruction almost completed, it is time for us to look back on the process.

This issue (JDR Vol.2 No.5) features a roundup of post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction, including viewpoints on the challenges faced in the wake of massive damage and injury, destruction of over 400,000 damaged houses and infrastructure lifeline facilities such as water, electricity, and gas, and the collapse and rebuilding of local communities and the economy.

This issue follows recovery and reconstruction and provides information on processes that could be useful in the case of a large earthquake in the future.
Review and Recommendations for Lifeline Recovery and Reconstruction
Authors: Shiro Takada*  ,   Department of Civil Engineering, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada-Ku, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan, Hirofumi Ito**  ,   Technology Planning Division, Policy Planning & Coordination Bureau, Public Works & Development Department, Hyogo Prefectural Government, 5-10-1 Shimoyamate St., Chuo-Ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-8567, Japan
Published: April 2016

In the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the severing of lifelines – utilities and infrastructures systems – heavily inconvenienced victims and caused serious rifts in emergency activities and medical and firefighting operations right after the earthquake, all of which are critical to life. We review lifelines in terms of damage, recovery that took almost three months, and reconstruction taking 10 years, and recommend ordinary and emergency actions, including reinforcement of frameworks for emergencies, structural damage prediction, and the preparation of improvement guidelines.
Machizukuri (Community Development) for Recovery Whose Leading Role Citizens Play
Authors: Kobayashi Ikuo ,   Restoration from the Hanshin Earthquake Disaster / Supporters Network for Community Development "Machizukuri," Co-Plan Inc., Kobe Yamate University, 40-19-504, Asahigaoka-Cho, Ashiya-Shi, Hyogo-Ken 659-0012, Japan
Published: April 2016

If one point should be mentioned in the process of recovery from the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake Disaster in Kobe to be passed down to coming generations, it would be "Machizukuri Organization." "Machizukuri Organization" is a form of post disaster community development in which citizens play a leading role. In districts where Machizukuri activities were conducted before the earthquake, "Community Development "Machizukuri" for Restoration" was undertaken immediately after the earthquake. This details activities in which residents are accustomed to participate could actually play an important role. The establishment of "Community Development Machizukuri" by the body such as Machizukuri Organization is necessary in every city in the country as soon as possible.
Damage Scale and Long-term Recovery Plans in Japan: Working with Local People
Authors: Norio Maki*  ,   Research Center for Disaster Reduction Systems (DRS), Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji-shi, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan, Haruo Hayashi*  , Keiko Tamura**  ,   Research Center for Natural Hazards & Disaster Recovery, Niigata University, Igarashi 2-Nocho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
Published: April 2016

After devastating disaster, local governments create their "long-term recovery plans." However, there is no clear threshold showing how severely damaged local governments would establish the plan, and no analysis on what kind of components those plans could include. Another issue about long-term recovery planning is how we compiling ideas or visions of stakeholders of an impacted community into a plan. There exists two aspects in planning, one is how ideas of stakeholders are compiled into a plan, and the other is how a feasible plan is established. This paper discusses about 1) the threshold and components for long-term recovery plans from historical data analysis on the various long term recovery plans in Japan during 1959 Ise Bay Typhoon Disaster to Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake Disaster, and 2) planning scheme to establish feasible plan with stakeholder involvement. As a results about the threshold and components on long-term recovery plans, when 8% house holds suffers major damage within total local government's house holds, local governments could establish "long-term recovery plans," and there exits two kinds of "long-term recovery plans" such as comprehensive plans and disaster reduction+short term recovery plans among recent "long-term recovery plans." And the scheme to develop long-term recovery planning by summing up 1690 of stakeholders' ideas on long term recovery of the community into the plan according to a strategic planning framework were developed from the case study in the Ojiya City long term recovery planning, which suffers severe damage from 2004 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake Disaster. The planning process which could secure the feasibility and effectiveness of the plan and compile successfully various visions and ideas of stakeholders were compiled into the plan were developed.
Recovery and Reconstruction Calendar
Authors: Kimura Reo ,   Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Kankyo-sougou-kan 413, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
Published: April 2016

We have developed a recovery and reconstruction calendar for clarifying the process that earthquake victims undergo in rebuilding their shattered lives. We have examined its reliability and stability and considered the generality of the process clarified by the proposed calendar. Concretely, based on results for the calendar in random surveys on the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture Earthquake, we concluded that (1) the recovery and reconstruction calendar is highly reliable and stable in clarifying the recovery and reconstruction process and (2) generalization can be recognized in this process in time phases after disasters despite differences in disaster size and mode.
Recovery Efforts in New York After 9/11
Authors: Mammen David ,   Visiting Professor, DRS, DPRI, Kyoto University (2006-2007) President and Co-Director, The Center for Good Governance, New York City, 809 West 181st Street, Suite 116, New York, NY 10033, U.S.A.
Published: April 2016

Recovery efforts in New York following the events of September 11, 2001 have been multi-faceted, addressing physical, economic and social needs and involving government agencies, private firms, and a myriad of nongovernmental organizations. This article, drawn from a manuscript covering the full breadth and depth of New York's experience, describes the loss and damage created on 9/11 and the funding provided by the federal government to promote recovery. Several cross-cutting values and approaches which are exemplified by recovery efforts are also described.
New Orleans' Recovery Following Hurricane Katrina: Observations on Local Catastrophe Recovery Management
Authors: Johnson Laurie A. ,   Consultant and International Collaborative Researcher Research Center for Disaster Reduction Systems, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan, 2550 Gough Street #6, San Francisco, California 94123, USA
Published: April 2016

Few local governments in the U.S. have faced the difficult task of managing catastrophic disaster recovery and there are equally few training guides geared toward improving local government's recovery management capacity. Our limited "toolkit"for local recovery management mostly reflects the learning from more moderate disasters. This paper reports on New Orleans' experiences in managing recovery from a truly catastrophic disaster. In particular, it describes two efforts: the 5-month Unified New Orleans Plan process, initiated in September 2006, and the city's Office of Recovery Management (now Office of Recovery Development and Administration), established in December 2006. It analyzes New Orleans' use of seven strategic recovery management practices that are proposed to enhance local management capacity and effectiveness following a disastrous event. Given the scale, complexity and multiple agencies involved in New Orleans recovery, this analysis is by no means exhaustive. It does, however, illustrate some of the areas where New Orleans' recovery management efforts have been effective as well as areas that could be strengthened.
Design Tsunami Forces for Onshore Structures
Authors: Yeh Harry ,   School of Civil and Construction Engineering, Oregon State University, USA
Published: April 2016

Tsunamis often cause structural damage by direct water forces as well as impact forces by water-born missiles. The available design guidelines for tsunami forces are reviewed and evaluated. Synthesizing technical information, rational methodologies are developed for the determination of design tsunami forces on buildings located in onshore areas where tsunami inundation maps are available. Although there are substantial uncertainties with respect to tsunami phenomena themselves, the simple methodologies developed may be used for preliminary evaluation of tsunami forces.
Effects of Global Warming on Heavy Rainfall During the Baiu Season Projected by a Cloud-System-Resolving Model
Authors: Nakamura Masaomi ,   Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan, Kaneda Sachie , Wakazuki Yasutaka , Muroi Chiashi , Hashimoto Akihiro , Kato Teruyuki , Noda Akira , Yoshizaki Masanori , Yasunaga Kazuaki ,   Advanced Earth Science and Technology Organization, Tokyo, Japan,   Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan,   Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo, Japan
Published: April 2016

Under the Kyosei-4 Project, unprecedented high resolution global and regional climate models were developed on the Earth Simulator to investigate the effect of global warming on tropical cyclones, baiu frontal rainfall systems, and heavy rainfall events that could not be resolved using conventional climate models.

For the regional climate model, a nonhydrostatic model (NHM) with a horizontal resolution of 5 km was developed to be used in the simulation of heavy rainfall during the baiu season in Japan. Simulations in June and July were executed for 10 years in present and future global warming climates. It was found that, due to global warming, mean rainfall is projected to increase except in eastern and northern Japan, the frequency of heavy rainfall events would increase and its increment rate become higher for heavier rainfall, and return values for extreme rainfall would grow.

Experiments using an NHM with a horizontal resolution of 1 km were conducted to study the effects of resolution. Compared to 5 km resolution, it expresses the organization of rainfall systems causing heavy rainfall and the appearance-frequency distribution of rainfall for variable intensities more realistically.
Convective Activity and Moisture Variation During Field Experiment MISMO in the Equatorial Indian Ocean
Authors: Yoneyama Kunio ,   Institute of Observational Research for Global Change (IORGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan, Takayabu Yukari N. ,   Center for Climate System Research, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
Published: April 2016

The field experiment Mirai Indian Ocean cruise for the Study of the MJO-convection Onset (MISMO) took place in the central equatorial Indian Ocean from October to December 2006 on the research vessel Mirai. During MISMO, intensive Doppler radar, radiosonde, and other observations were conducted to collect atmospheric and oceanic features when convection associated with the intraseasonal variability was initiated. The Mirai was stationed at 2∘S-2∘N and 79∘E-82∘E from October 24 to November 25. Satellite-based cloud data analysis was used to detect convectively active intraseasonal variations in the latter half of observation, although it was weak and its eastward-propagating signal dissipated before arriving on the maritime continent. We examine the features of convective activity and related moisture variation during this stationary observation period, focusing on difference in features between convectively inactive and active periods. We confirmed that stratiform clouds played a key role in regulating moisture distribution features in the convectively active intraseasonal period.
Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity
Authors: Higuchi Hiroyoshi ,   Laboratory of Biodiversity Science, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Published: April 2016

Rising temperatures brought about by global warming are causing plants to bloom and leaf earlier, and advancing the start of animal breeding seasons. The ranges of some species of plants and animals are also being shifted northwards or to higher elevations. In cities, the heat island effect is raising temperatures still further, accelerating the flowering of plants. The degree of such phenological changes, and of the range in shifts, varies according to species and group, resulting in the distortion or mismatch of biological interactions such as predation, pollination, seed dispersion and parasitism. Rising sea levels due to the rising temperatures is destroying tidal wetlands and wiping out coral reefs and, consequently, killing off the various organisms that live there. It has been predicted that if warming continues, sudden and drastic changes will occur in the structure and functioning of ecosystems around the world, including in Japan, and that such regime shifts, which cannot easily be reversed, will be frequent. These ecological changes would affect a variety of aspects of human life such as housing, diet and health.
Past Evaluation and Future Projection of Sea Level Rise Related to Climate Change Around Japan
Authors: Iwasaki Sin-Iti ,   Storm, Flood and Landslide Research Department, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, 3-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0006, Japan, Sasaki Wataru , Matsuura Tomonori
Published: April 2016

Using new sea level data on 71 points on Japan’s coast during 1966-2003 in which crustal movement is eliminated from tide records, we evaluate long-term oceanic-origin sea levels and project sea level rises (SLR). We classify Japan’s coast into seven regions of about 100 km^2 by applying cluster analysis to the sea level data. For western Japan, we propose a linear regression model enabling us to predict sea levels based on sea surface temperature (SST). SLR are projected for the 21stcentury using our linear regression model to SSTs of 10 coupled general circulation models (CGCMs), based on the SRES A1B scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report. The mean SLR in western Japan in the 21stcentury is 12 cm, almost the same as the SLR around Japan’s coast predicted dynamically by CGCMs. We found that the SLR predicted by our linear regression model is high in the western Japan, particularly at about 17 cm/century in western Kyushu.
Impacts of Recent Climate Change on Flood Disaster and Preventive Measures
Authors: Oshikawa Hideo ,   Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan, Hashimoto Akihiro , Tsukahara Kenichi , Komatsu Toshimitsu ,   Foundation for Riverfront Improvement and Restoration, 1-8 Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0082, Japan
Published: April 2016

This paper examines flood disasters caused by climate change focusing on two floods occurring on Japan's southwest island of Kyushu during record precipitation exceeding 1,000 mm. Our examination results emphasize the urgent necessity of implementing dam measures to prevent serious dam accidents at all costs and adequate action against driftwood and other waste materials to prevent them from interfering in dam operation. Changes in natural weather and other patterns, e.g., heavy rainfalls 1,900 mm recorded in the Miyazaki Prefecture during Typhoon 14 in 2005 and 1,200 mm in the Kagoshima Prefecture Sendai River basin in five days of torrential rain in 2006, have made it clear that conventional measures for coping with such occurrences are no longer adequate. Just 300 mm of precipitation during Typhoon 10 in 2003, for example, triggered catastrophic results in Hokkaido, where heavy rainfall rarely occurs and there is non immunity against 300 mm rainfall. Since global warming and its attendant influences are expected to continue and to bring condition of non immunity against an increased potential of disaster to whole country, the need for better knowledge and ideas on disaster prevention are urgently required.
Factors Associated with Hurricane Preparedness: Results of a Pre-Hurricane Assessment
Authors: Horney Jennifer ,   North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Campus Box #8165, 400 Roberson Street Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA, Snider Cynthia , Malone Sandra , Gammons Laura , Ramsey Steve ,   University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health Campus Box #7435 Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA,   Carteret County Health Department 3820 Bridges Street, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA,   Public Health Regional Surveillance Team 5, 1203 Maple Street, Greensboro, NC 27405, USA
Published: April 2016

Previous studies of hurricane preparedness have generally used indirect measures to ascertain household preparedness, including time intervals between preparation and hurricane landfall and past evacuation. This study sought to directly measure hurricane preparedness by asking residents of a high-risk coastal North Carolina county to report whether their household had an evacuation plan and a disaster supply kit with at least 3 days of food and water for each family member and pet as recommended by the American Red Cross. The survey was conducted six weeks prior to the start of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season. Past hurricane experience increased the likelihood of a household having a disaster supply kit. However, living in multi-unit housing or a mobile home significantly decreased the likelihood of having a disaster supply kit. Past hurricane experience, past evacuation experience and anticipated evacuation under a mandatory evacuation order were important factors related to a household having an evacuation plan. Residence in a designated flood zone, demographic characteristics of the household, pet ownership, and perceived risk were not significantly related to preparedness. Public health and emergency management officials should work together to determine effective interventions that can improve personal preparedness based on factors other than personal hurricane experience.
Threats to Indigenous Biota from Introduced Species on the Bonin Islands, Southern Japan
Authors: Kawakami Kazuto ,   Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
Published: April 2016

High endemism has evolved on the Bonin Islands, a group of oceanic islands in the northwestern Pacific, due to a disharmonic, unique biota. However, human settlements have caused extensive deforestation and the introduction of invasive species over the last 200 years. Insular populations are vulnerable to the devastating effects of introduced predators, competitors, and diseases, because they have evolved in the absence of such factors. Introduced species (e.g., goats, cats, black rats, green anole lizards, invasive plants, and predatory flatworms) have caused population declines and the extinction of indigenous species through direct and indirect effects. Unpredictable events often occur within these food webs. Clearly, efforts must be made to control these introduced populations, and to that end, attempts to eliminate certain species (e.g., goats and rats) have begun. However, some invasive species cannot be completely eradicated from their ranges because of their wide distributions and high population densities. In such cases, these species must be confined to their current ranges, which, for the primary invasive species, is mainly limited to two inhabited islands. Problematically, some introduced species have become essential components of the current ecosystem due to long-term naturalization, and their elimination may cause decreases in native species. Thus, the construction of sustainable ecosystems that include both native and introduced species is a realistic goal of current conservation efforts.
Conservation and Management of the Asian Crested Ibis in China
Authors: Su Yunshan ,   Institute for Environmental Culture, 559-4-223 Sakusabe-cho, Inage, Chiba, Japan
Published: April 2016

During the latter half of the 20th century, due to environmental destruction, agricultural modernization, and excessive hunting, the population of the Asian Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon), once distributed widely in Japan, China, Korea, and Russia’s Ussuri region, has declined dramatically. As a result, there have been no reported sightings of the Asian Crested Ibis since 1963 in Russia and since 1979 in Korea. In the case of Japan, the last 5 remaining wild Asian Crested Ibises were captured for captive breeding purpose, but due to unfortunate circumstances, the last Asian Crested Ibis died in October 2003, resulting in failure of the project. In the case of China, although no sightings were reported since 1964 for those once inhabiting northeast, northwest and southwest China, when its extinction was about to be declared in May 1981, 7 wild Asian Crested Ibises, including 3 chicks, were discovered in Yang Xian, deep in the Qin Lin Mountains in Shanxi Province. This news attracted worldwide attention. To conserve those remaining wild population and their habitat, China quickly established a centralized conservation framework. In the 26 years of this conservation policy, the original 7 individuals increased to 600 and, with the captive breeding population, the total population now exceeds 1,000. Thanks to steady progress in reintroduction to its original habitat and in research, the Asian Crested Ibis has been moved from the Critically Endangered to the Endangered List. Although the habitat of the Asian Crested Ibis has expanded with its wild population, issues on acquirements for foraging sites, conservation, and management of its habitat remain as conflicts arise between economic development and environmental conservation. A long-term conservation plan is thus needed that considers both the conservation of the Asian Crested Ibis habitat and benefits to local residents.