The Japanese experience shows that if done right- preventive investments pay. The Japanese government invested about 7 to 8 percent of the total budget for disaster risk management (DRM) in the 1960s, a move that most probably decreased disaster deaths. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and...

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) was a multi-hazard event. A massive quake triggered a series of tsunamis of unprecedented dimension, as well as the subsequent nuclear accident. Sensitive facilities need to be protected against low-probability and complex events because damage to such...

Earthquakes and tsunamis increase the risks of hydro-meteorological disasters. After the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), disaster-prevention structures such as coastal and river dikes were quickly rehabilitated. A phased process of rehabilitation work made it possible to address urgent needs...

Social infrastructure and public utilities are critical for quick and effective disaster response and recovery. Japan's rigorous seismic reinforcement of infrastructure has greatly reduced the effort required to restore essential facilities. Identification of priority infrastructure, legislation...

Hazard and risk assessments are the crucial first step in disaster risk management (DRM) and the basis for formulating DRM policies. They must take into account worst-case scenarios in the event of the largest possible hazard, while recognizing that hazard assessments of earthquakes and tsunamis...

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), the government of Japan responded promptly to stabilize markets and ensure a swift recovery. Economic activity has since started picking up, in part to domestic demand driven by the massive reconstruction effort. Uncertainties remain, however,...

In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), domestic and international assistance initiatives were launched by a large number of public and private sectors organizations; and various emergency teams were mobilized through national and international networks. The GEJE reminded us that...

Public facilities and infrastructure can be built in such a way as to reduce disaster risks and serve as disaster risk management facilities. Roads, expressways, and other public facilities helped reduce damage and loss in the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) by providing protection against...

Structures such as dikes play a crucial role in preventing disasters by controlling tsunamis, floods, debris flows, landslides, and other natural phenomena. However, structural measures alone cannot prevent all disasters because they cannot mitigate damages when the hazard exceeds the level that...