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Special focus on the lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Yuichi Ono Assistant Director and Professor, International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

Thank OECD countries for providing warm support to disaster victims and affected areas in Tohoku

Introduction It has been more than three and a half years since the 11 March 2001 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Focus: Review policies and changes

In 1896, 22,000 people were killed by tsunami in Tohoku (Death rate: 40%) In 2011, nearly 20,000 people were killed by tsunami in Tohoku (Death rate: 4%)

Significant decrease in the death rate: 40 to 4 % in 100 years Positive factors: - Increased capacity to cope with the disaster (both structural and non-structural measures) Negative factors: - Memory loss, more exposure to the risk with increased population - Dependency on modern technology

Changes in DRR related policy 〔Basic Acts〕 1. Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act (1961) 2. Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disaster (1970) 3. Act on Disaster Prevention in Petroleum Industrial Complexes and other Petroleum Facilities (1975) 4. Act on Special Measures for Large-scale Earthquakes (1978) 5. Act on Special Measures for Nuclear Disasters (1999) 6. Act on Special Measures for Promotion of Tonankai and Nankai Earthquake Disaster Management (2002) 7. Act on Special Measures for Promotion of Disaster Management for Trench-type Earthquakes in the Vicinity of the Japan and Chishima Trenches (2004) Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act was revised (June 2013)

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Capacity building for quickly responding to a large-scale disaster which affects large areas

Smooth and safe evacuation of the residents

An improvement in protecting disaster victims

Strengthening of the measure for the disaster prevention from ordinal time

Key points in revision of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act

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The Reconstruction Agency officially debuted on February 10, 2012, following the previous Headquarters of Reconstruction, which was set up in June 2011. The Reconstruction Agency was created under the Act Establishing the Reconstruction Agency and is planned to operate for 10 years. This agency is primarily responsible for coordinating various ministries’ budgetary and reconstruction procedures so that reconstruction efforts in all localities can proceed in a timely manner.

〔Disaster Prevention and Preparedness〕 1. Erosion Control Act (1897) 2. Building Standard Law (1950) 3. Forest Act (1951) 4. Act on Temporary Measures for Disaster Prevention and Development of Special Land Areas (1952) 5. Meteorological Services Act (1952) 6. Seashore Act (1956) 7. Landslide Prevention Act (1958) 8. Act on Special Measures for Disaster Prevention in Typhoon-prone Areas (1958) 9. Act on Special Measures for Heavy Snowfall Areas (1962) 10. River Act (1964) 11. Act on Prevention of Steep Slope Collapse Disaster (1969) 12. Act on Special Measures for Active Volcanoes (1973) 13. Act on Special Financial Measures for Urgent Earthquake Countermeasure Improvement Projects in Areas for Intensified Measures (1980) 14. Act on Special Measures for Earthquake Disaster Countermeasures (1995) 15. Act on Promotion of the Earthquake-proof Retrofit of Buildings (1995) 16. Act on Promotion of Disaster Resilience Improvement in Densely Inhabited Areas (1997) 17. Act on Promotion of Sediment Disaster Countermeasures for Sediment Disaster Prone Areas (2000) 18. Specified Urban River Inundation Countermeasures Act (2003)

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After the GEJE, the Japanese government actively established the new acts and amended existing acts. - Two new acts for tsunami disaster management (June and December 2011) - A revision of the Act on Special Measures concerning Urban Regeneration (April 2012) - A revision of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act (June 2012 and June 2013) - A new act concerning the reconstruction from major disasters (June 2013) - A new act of countermeasures for the Tokyo Inland Earthquake (November 2013) -A fundamental revision of an act for promotion of countermeasures for the Nankai Trough Earthquake (November 2013) - A new basic act of national resilience for disaster

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Dedicated and Adequate Resources for Disaster Management in Japan

Helping each other: Nation-wide assistance

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BCP

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Why earthquake damages were reduced during the 11 March 2011 Disaster?

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Accommodation issues of disaster victims for a long time

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Relocation Regional Urban Recovery Types Proposed after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

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Change of Housing Location in Hongo, Touni Village, Iwate Pref. (1948–2010)

After the 1933 Killer Tsunami, most people relocated to higher ground, but they gradually returned --- Exposure to tsunami risks

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Do not build houses in lower areas (a stone monument in Rikuzentakata built in 1935)

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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The Education Sector

Education + self-action with flexible thoughts

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Frequent drills at school and communities

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Ancient Japanese words have might have hidden meanings: Kama-: tsunami eaten beaches e.g. Kamaishi, Shiogama, Kamakura Nami-/Namiita Wata/watari- Ona Suka Aka/Ake: Water

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Name of places - e.g. funakoshi

(boat crossing over to the other beach): two neighboring beaches became one by tsunami

Funakoshi, Yamada-machi, Iwate Pref

Efforts in the 19th century

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Tsunami Recovery in Wakayama A great leader Education and awareness First tsunami levee in the world?

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He saved the lives of many of his fellow villagers of Hiro, Kii Province (current Hirogawa, Wakayama), when a massive tsunami struck the Kii Peninsula in 1854. He set fire to stacks of rice sheaves as landmarks to guide villagers to safety. Lafcadio Hearn wrote a story about him in Gleanings in Buddha-Fields: Studies of Hand and Soul in the Far East (1897), called "Inamura no Hi: The burning rice fields". The story chronicled Goryo's heroism and accounts of his efforts were also introduced into Japanese textbooks. Hamaguchi participated in various recovery efforts in Hiro, including the construction of a sea wall more than 600m long, 20m wide and 5 m high, which minimized damage from tsunamis in later years. He spent his own money on the project the equivalent of 1,572 ryō (gold coins) and hired a total of 56,736 villagers to work on it. In 2012, a private housing firm, Ichijo Co., Ltd.(Ichijo Komuten) --- offered USD 300M to construct a sea wall in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Pref. (17.5 km)

Goryo Hamaguchi, 1820-1885 Inamuranohi museum Photo taken by Yuichi Ono

Historical tsunami warning and recovery efforts

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Historical tsunami warning and recovery efforts

1854 Ansei Tsunami – description of Hiromura Village Inamuranohi museum Photo taken by Yuichi Ono

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Historical tsunami warning and recovery efforts

Hiromura sea wall built by Hamaguchi, 1855-58 (3 years and 10 months) Height 5 m, width 20 m, length 600 m

Photo: Yuichi Ono Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Tsunami Warning System

First of all, tsunami warning system operated by JMA saved many lives on the occasion of the 11 March 2011 Japan Tsunami. If no EWS, the number of deaths would have been recorded with one more digit.

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Tsunami Warning System

The JMA’s already sophisticated TWS was further revised in March 2013 after a series of consultations

What happened on tsunami EWS on the day?

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Tsunami Warning System

It is easy to criticize things after they occur. - Initial estimated tsunami heights based on the early evaluations of

earthquake magnitude were significantly underestimated. --- The EQ rapturing continued for 3 minutes and the actual magnitude had not been observed.

Lessons: Do not depend only on the initial magnitude of EQ as a large one has significant duration Technical modifications in observation: A new method to evaluate a large EQ magnitude Based on the analysis on the EQ wave length

Pay more respect on the Ocean bottom tsunamimeters da and GPS wave gauges data

Source: JMA Source: JMA

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Tsunami Warning System

Issuance of tsunami warning

Before Now (after March 2013)

Source: JMA

Source: JMA

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Tsunami Warning System Issuance of tsunami warning

If not technically sure on the estimated tsunami heights, JMA would not use numerical values but words such as enormous/gigantic (higher than 3m), high (1-3 meters), or none if less than 1 meter.

If confident, JMA will use the above-displayed categorized tsunami heights Note that the announcement will be made at the maximum value in each category

Source: JMA

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Tsunami Warning System

Dissemination of warning

Estimated time of tsunami arrival with estimated height per location will be announced by JMA,

Source JMA

Local FM Radio Station at Rikuzentakata

37 Photo: Yuichi Ono

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- Only 30% of people evacuated quickly. Why not others?

- The initial estimate of tsunami height announced by JMA was not high enough - The corrected information soon after did not reach people due to electric

failures - The magnitude of the earthquake (9.0) was beyond imagination even for

seismologists - The earthquake made a gigantic electronic failures and most people

depended tsunami warning on TV - Many elderly people and disabled people could/did not evacuate on time. - Some of the designated evacuation sites became under water (tsunami risk

map) - Past tsunami experiences might have hindered a decision making process - New comers to the coastal area did not think of tsunami risk - Some people took risks to reach their family members, friends, colleagues,

and neighbors

Why so many people were killed?

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Population data in Minami-sanriku as of February 2011

17,666 940 5.3% 789 112 14.0%

What are these numbers?

Source: 障がい者制度改革推進会議

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Casualties, by Age, due to the 2011Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the 1995 Great Kobe Earthquake

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Hazard mapping

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Evacuation

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Evacuation

Evacuation by cars? GPS records analysis to identify what happened on 11 March 2011 Always some people are left out from evacuation practices How can we motivate those? Disabled people? Supporters take high Risks too. Critical infra and vulnerable people to be located in safer area as much as possible Structural measures would help especially immediately near the coast (e.g. Shizuoka Pref. Where tsunami might come less than 1 minute after the EQ)

Early warning system and evacuation would save lives but not protect properties

Structural measures

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A sea wall in Ohtanaba, Fudai-village, Iwate Pref. Length 155 m, height 15.5 m, Approx. USD 0.6M Right side: beach Built by Iwate Pref. but strong call by the Village Mayor in 1967

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Kotoku Wamura, 1909-1997 Mayor of Fudai Village - Insisted on building 15m high sea wall because he heard that th 1896 Tsunami was with 14m high - Iwate Pref. supported

100 people working in the port area were all saved during the 11 March 2011 Tsunami

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Source: Takahashi, Port and Airport Research Institute of Japan

Level 1 Tsunami

Level 2 Tsunami

Investment in research – Japanese tradition (planting a

tree with proper cares)

The trees would produce many fruits later for a long time

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IRIDeS created in the process of Build Back Better

- Established in April 2012 as a response to the disaster - 36 areas of research under 7 divisions - More than 70 full-time researchers (total more than 100) - One of the largest and most comprehensive DRM research institutes in the world - Secured 10-year budget by the Government with USD 100 Million

Research institutes, Governments, and International Organizations such as UN Private Sector Affected local

governments

International Research Institute of Disaster Science(IRIDS) Reconstruction of disaster prevention and reduction technologies based on reality of the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster

Construction of “Disaster area supportology” in the event of a disaster

Advancement of anti-hazard performance and upgrading for multiple-fail-safe in urban areas as disaster recovery projects

Establishment of disaster medical relief service system of responding appropriately to wide area massive disaster

Rehabilitation regional and urban and creating disaster digital archive pass for the next generation

Major Research Issues

Research on mechanism of mega earthquake and tsunami generation and developing of next-generation of early detection technology of tsunamis

Use of science for policy making in disaster recovery in case of Sendai City

Prof. Shunichi Koshimura’s work

Damage in Sendai city

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In Sendai

Exposed population 29,962

Death Toll 704 (2.4% of exposed population)

Missing 32

Injured 2,269

Completely collapsed 29,469 Severely damaged 26,064 Partial damaged 78,086 Minor damaged 115,949

Fatality/Missing/Insured

Structural damage

The 2011 Tsunami in Sendai

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Mapping of flow depth

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Mapping of building damage

Structural vulnerability Tsunami fragility curve

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Structural vulnerability Over 2 m tsunami flow depth potentially causes severe damage on houses or may devastate. Over 6 m tsunami flow depth will cause total devastation. Implication to land use management and tsunami risk evaluation.

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Sendai city’s reconstruction plan Multiple protection to minimize

losses

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Elevated prefectural road +6m

Coastal Levee 7.2 m

Final plan in Sendai city

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Coastal Levee 4.4 m

How the multiple protection works …

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The prefectural road (10 km) to be elevated Height : 6m, Width 30 m

12 billion JPY (120 million $)

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Sendai city’s reconstruction plan

Tide : MHW Sea wall : 7.2 m Road level : 6 m

Flow depth

Flow depth of less than 2 m at the west of the raised road. The sea wall and raised road increase the area of more surviving possibility.

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A special way to support recovery efforts By hosting the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, 14-18 March 2015 (Sendai) - Parts of our campus will be used as a venue Our key messages to the Post-HFA are: - Build back better (for resilient recovery) to increase DRR capacity for not to repeat the same disaster - Importance of constant investment on DRR (Japan: 1% of GDP since the late 1950s)

- Governance, including the development of national disaster statistics by NDMOs

- Support the proposed numerical targets in DRR in conjunction with the SDGs

- Integration of DRR science into national and local level policy

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Slide show: photos from tsunami-affected areas

66 Photo: Yuichi Ono

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68 Photo: Yuichi Ono

69 Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Disaster at Disaster Management Center of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Pref.

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Minamisanriku Temporal City Office and Evacuation Center

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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79 Photo: Yuichi Ono

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A first restaurant built after the tsunami in Minami-sanriku Recovery of local shops and restaurants does matter

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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A volunteer center combined with a local shop in Rikuzentakata

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Aid Takata , an NPO in Rikuzentakata is having a meeting to support affected communi

NGOs, NPOs, and local organizations do matter

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Public (prefectural) hospital in Rikuzentakata

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Temporally relocated but operational now

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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‘Capital Hotel 1000’ a 7-story building hotel near the coast in Rikuzentakata was damag up to the 4th floor --- to be moved to 700m inland on the top of the hill supported by Government ’s assistance and a private recovery fund (USD 8.6M)

Public accommodation does matter

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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A bridge near the coast, Minamisanriku, Miyagi Pref.

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Sendai Port

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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A railroad track and its bridge

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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JR Rikuzentakata Station (operated by the East Japan Railway Company) Public Transportation does matter

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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--- recovered as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for now

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Education Sector Elementary school in Arahama, Sendai

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Education Sector Elementary school in Arahama, Sendai

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Recovery at Tohoku University

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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Demolishing the damaged building of the Civil Engineer’s Department at Tohoku Unive - Nobody was hurt from the quake itself

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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We welcome you to the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Japan, 2015

Photo: Yuichi Ono

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http://irides.tohoku.ac.jp/media/files/HFA_IRIDeS_ReviewReport_Web_20140612(1).pdf Or just google it: IRIDeS HFA Review