local government capacity in japan

Local Government Capacity in Japan

Third Country Training Programme on Disaster Risk Management

and Building Disaster Resilient Communities

April 23rd, 2019

Ryosuke Aota, Professor

Graduate School of Disaster Resilience and Governance

University of Hyogo, JAPAN

Big disasters in Japan

(dead and missing with more

than 1,000 after 1932,

Re : White Paper on Disaster

Management, Cabinet Office

2016)

year Disaster Dead and missing

1932 Mikawa Earthquake 2,306

1932 Makurazaki Typhoon 3,756

1946 Nankai Earthquake 1,443

1947 Katherine Typhoon 1,930

1948 Fukui Earthquake 3,769

1954 Huge Rainfall in Kyushu, Shikoku,

Chugoku

1,013

1954 Huge Rainfall in Wakayama 1,124

1955 Toyamaru Typhoon 1,761

1958 Kanogawa Typhoon 1,269

1959 Isewan Typhoon 5,098

1995 Hanshin Awaji Earthquake 6,437

2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami 22,010

There used to be hugeflood disasters in thepast.

We had not experiencedhuge earthquakedisasters until HanshinAwaji for those 50 years.

Japan, Disaster Country(prone to natural disasters like earthquake, tsunami, typhoon, land slide and snowstorm)

Recent Earthquake Disasters in Japan(after Hanshin Awaji)

1. Tottori West Quake (Jun. 2000, M7.3)

2. Geiyo Qauke (Mar. 2001, M6.7)

3. Miyagi Offshore Quake (May 2003, M7.1)

4. Tokachi Offshore Quake (Sep. 2003, M8.0)

5. Niigata Chuetsu Quake (Oct. 2004, M6.8)

6. Fukuoka West Offshore Quake (Mar. 2005, M7.0)

7. Noto Peninsula Quake (Apr. 2007, M6.9)

8. Iwate/Miyagi Inland Quake (Jun. 2008, M7.2)

9. Great East Japan Quake (Mar.2011, M9.2)

10. Kumamoto Quake (Apr. 2016, M7.3)

11. Northern Osaka Earthquake (Jul. 2018, M6.1)

12. Hokkaido Iburi Earthquake (Jun. 2018, M6.7)

• Japan entered seismic activity period.

• Many inland earthquakes are said to be signal before huge disasters in ocean trench.

Future Huge Disasters in Japan

(Ex.1) Nankai Trough Earthquake

(Event probability: 70-80% within 30 years)

- Estimated numbers of deaths/missing persons:

323,000

Estimated damage: 1.7 trillion USD

(Ex.2) Earthquake whose epicenter is directly below

Tokyo, the capital city

(Event probability: 70-80% within 30 years)

- Estimated numbers of deaths/missing persons:

23,000

- Estimated damage: 1 trillion USD

Future Earthquake

( Chart by the Cabinet Office )

102 years

147 years

90 years

32 hours later

2 years later

102 yearsNankai Quake 102 years

TonankaiQuake

Tokai Quake

Nankai Trough Quake

We aim the damage will be reduced by 50 to 80% by disaster risk reduction activities in the next ten years (from 2014).

Purpose of This Lectures (April 23rd and 24th)

1. The Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in 1995 not only has given the societyhuge shock, but also has shown us the importance of “Build Back Better”,which triggered social innovation.

2. One of the most shocking matters was the limit of government capacity. Boththe national and local government could not immediately get damageinformation. Their response was slow and fell into confusion.

3. On the other hand, many volunteers rushed into the affected sites. NPO/NGOdeveloped their activities for affected people. That was the first opportunityin Japan.

4. Self, mutual and public support was recognized, as the lessons from thatdisaster.

5. The lesson has become the base of disaster management in Japan, whichwas passed down to the following disasters, including the Great East JapanEarthquake.

Purpose of This Lectures (April 23rd and 24th)

6. In the first lecture (today), I will focus on local

government capacity.

7. The efforts by local government extend from

emergency aid to the whole stage in disaster cycle.

8. And the development of private sector will be

addressed in the second lecture tomorrow.

9. We realize collaboration and cooperation between

both sectors is crucial to make disaster resilient

society.

10. We understand co-governance by making use of

“decentralization” and “private sector”

Disaster

EmergencyAid

Recovery

B.B.B

Mitigation

Preparedness

Disaster Reduction

Less Vulnerability Leads to Disaster Resilient Society

【Disaster hits vulnerable parts in the society】

Ex.：fragile building / collapsed ground / the elderly /

the disabled / the poor / petty enterprise

【Less vulnerability leads to disaster resilient

society】

・Disaster reduction in each stage of mitigation,

preparedness, emergency aid, recovery and B.B.B

“Recovery” just means to bringing back to normal

(the stage before disaster)

(ex) recovery of electricity, gas, water supply, recovery

of road, railway

“Build Back Better” means creating a new society to

meet needs, and decreasing vulnerability of

the society

(ex) reconstruction of housing, livelihood, community,

elderly

We should get rid of

vulnerability

Difference between “Recovery” and “Build Back Better”

Why is Local Government a Major Body to Respond to Disaster ?

1. The national government are not close to affected sites andcannot immediately start disaster response.

2. The response by the national government tends to bestandardized. It is difficult to reflect locality and diversityinto the response, recovery, B.B.B and preparation.

3. The local government is closer to citizens. It is easier to pickup their variety of needs.

4. Decentralization has accelerated the power of localgovernment.

Local Government System in Japan1. Prefecture

• Wide area local government

• Wide area management, coordination affairs among municipalities, complementary affairs

• Elected governor (tenure of office :4 years)

• 47 prefectures

2. Municipality (city, town, village)

• Basic local government (closest to residents)

• No legal difference among city, town and village

• City should have population with more than 50,000

• Designated city, which has more than 700,000 population (equivalent to prefecture)

• Elected mayor

• 790 cities, 745 towns and 183 villages (total:1,718 municipalities, as of April, 2015)

3. Metropolitan ward

• 23 wards in Tokyo Metropolitan government (prefecture)

• Elected mayor

• Equivalent to municipality

Decentralization of Authority1. Basic Idea

• Roll allotment should be clarified between the national and local government.

• Local government should increase independency and autonomy.

• Local society should be achieved with full of individuality and vitality.

２．Purpose

• From hierarchical to equal relationship between the national and local government

• From standardized system controlled by the national government to comprehensive but diversified one initiated by citizens

３．Function

• Abolish assigned function through which national government could fire governor and mayor

• Establish new rule when the national government interfere with local government

• Promote transfer of authority from the national to local government

• Revise rules on structure and staff of local government

• Rationalize national subsidy and ensure local tax

• Develop local government system

• Revise national management plan

Role of National & Local Government by Disaster Countermeasure Basic Act

(Prefecture)• Disaster management plan• Wide area management, coordination affairs among

municipalities, complementary affairs for disaster management

• Police affairs• Intermediary between

national &municipality government

(Municipality / Special ward)• Disaster management plan• Fire fighting affairs• Water prevention affairs• Semi pubic entity (ex. Coop,

industry, social, women, aged, youth, sports club)

• Autonomous disaster reduction organization

(National government)• Disaster management

plan• Total coordination

with local government, designated public organization

• Instruct and advise local government

Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in 1995

(1) Date

5:46 am in January 17th, 1995

(2) Damage

・ Number of dead and missing : 6,435

・ Number of injured : 43,792

・ Number of totally collapsed or burned houses : 111,054

・ Number of partially collapsed or burned Houses :144,341

・ Cuts in water supply : more than 1.3 million houses (at the maximum)

・ Failure of power supply : around 2.6 million houses (〃)

・ Interruption of gas supply : around 860,000 houses (〃)

・ Disconnected telephone lines : more than 300,000 lines (〃)

Lesson from the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake

(Characteristics)

Massive earthquake struck metropolitan area with

population of around 3 million

1. Paralyzed urban functions (hard infrastructure)

2. Livelihood and housing reconstruction for affected

people (human being)

3. Government could not cope with all of the problems

at each stage and field.

• Stage: rescue, relief, recovery and reconstruction

• Field: emergency management, housing, urban

infrastructure, industry, health, medical, welfare,

education and others.

Lesson :

1. Role of

“public support”

“mutual support”

and “self support”

2. “Build back better”

by local initiative

I will explain the lessons, based

on “the Report of the 10-Year

Recovery & Reconstruction

Overall Verification and

Recommendations”

“Report of the 10-Year Recovery & Reconstruction Overall and

Recommendations” compiled by Hyogo Prefecture Government

The local government verified and compiled the 10-year recovery &reconstruction (1995 to 2004).

( 12 keynotes of recommendations)

1. Safe and secure community development

2. Inclusive society

3. Recovery and Build Back Better initiated by local government and decentralization of authority

4. Active participation in cooperation with citizens

5. Practical disaster management system

6. Emergency aid and housing reconstruction

7. Consideration on vulnerable people including elderlies

8. Local revitalization and prosperity

9. Distinctive communities using local culture, cityscape and scenery

10. Inter-regional coordination and exchange

11. International cooperation for disaster reduction

12.Disseminate information based on experience and lessons from the disaster

“Report of the 10-Year Recovery & Reconstruction Overall and Recommendations” Compiled by Hyogo Prefecture Government

Re: Governance for Disaster Resilient Society in Japan by R.Aota (2016)

(1) Safe and secure community development

We should make both hard infrastructure and soft measure disaster resilient.

Challenging Issue After the disaster (public support)

Buildings, including public facilities, were collapsed.Many of them were built, according to the oldbuilding code before 1981.

Earthquake resistant buildings andinfrastructure were newly established, accordingto the code after 1981.

2 expressways were collapsed and 2 national roadswere paralyzed between Osaka and Kobe. Rescue,relief and other emergency cars could not reachaffected sites immediately.

Those roads were strengthened with earthquakeresistance standards. And a new trunk road hasbeen completed (=the idea of redundancy)

Challenging Issue After the disaster (public support)

Many people lost their houses. Many of themcould not rebuild for themselves.

The local government built public housing forpeople who lost their houses with low rental fee.

Citizens were not informed of the vulnerablesituation at their sites. They could not prepare forthemselves.

We can make use of website to check thevulnerability.http://www.hazardmap.pref.hyogo.jp/english.html

(1)Safe and secure community development

(2) Create inclusive society

We re-evaluate the role of community to make inclusive and sustainable

society, where people mutually help to spend their livelihood.

Challenging issues After the disaster (public support)

We realized the importance of community where wesupported mutually in our neighborhood.

The local government encouraged community people toorganize autonomous disaster management group withfinancial aid.

Many affected people remained in their home site.But they did not have any idea of how they rebuilttheir community.

The local government provided community with grant to getexperts to redevelop their areas. These experts discussed withthe people to submit community plan to the government.

(3) Build Back Better initiated by local government and decentralizationof authority

It is local government that should initiate recovery and reconstruction activities,based on local needs of affected people.

Challenging issue After the disaster (public support)

The local government wanted to pick up variety of needswhich affected people had. But they had no idea of how toget them.

The local government established “Recovery andReconstruction Meeting to Support Affected People”,participated by experts and government staff. The meetingmembers launched outreach activities to pick up needs.

The local government faced to new challenging issues topromote recovery and reconstruction activities. (= How couldthey support private property or activities ?) The governmentwanted to get different financial resource at its discretion.

The local government created “Disaster Recovery andReconstruction Fund”, financially supported mainly by thenational government.

(4) Active participation by or in cooperation with citizens

The local government should have citizen sector involved in recovery and

reconstruction activities.

Challenging issue After the disaster

The local government felt necessity of making use ofcitizens’ resource to promote recovery andreconstruction activities.

The local government set up “ordinance for activeparticipation by or in cooperation with ordinarycitizens” and “joint meeting between thegovernment and NGO”.

(5) Practical risk management system

The local government should develop practical disaster management

system to effectively respond to disaster.


The local government did not have tough building centerwith wide space for disaster management.Disaster management staff could not come to the centerimmediately after the disaster.

The local government built “disaster management center”to resist against huge earthquake disaster.It also built “disaster stand-by lodging” to immediatelyrespond to disaster in 24 hours system.

The local government could not communicate withrelevant agencies including the national government,other prefectures, municipalities, police, firefightingagencies and private sector.

The local government developed cooperation systemamong relevant agencies. It also promoted practical andwide-area disaster management system through plan,training and drill.

(6) Emergency aid and housing reconstruction

Housing is not always private matter. It should be supported by the whole

society.


We did not have an effective financial supportsystem to affected people who lost their housesand rebuild for themselves.

The local government requested the nationalgovernment to provide housing grant for those whorebuilt their houses. It led to the enact of “NaturalDisaster Victims Relief Law (30,000 USD at maximum)”.In addition, the local government itself developed“Hyogo Mutual Aid System for Housing Reconstruction(60,000 USD at maximum)”.

(7) Consideration on people vulnerable to disasters including elderlies

Vulnerable people tend to be left behind, in the case of disaster. It is

important to take care of them to reduce second damage by disaster.


Many aged people, who lost their houses, movedto public housing. They were isolated and leftbehind.

They moved to public housing. The local governmentopened community center, within the housing area,where residents have got medical, nursing and welfareservice. (ex. LSA, Life Support Advisor)

(8) Regional revitalization and prosperity

Business activities are important to promote livelihood recovery and

revitalize affected areas.Challenging issue After the disaster (public support)

The national and local government did not havethe system to boost up local economy ofaffected areas.

The local government developed new financial supportfor business recovery , including special loan and interestsubsidy.It set up special zone to attract new business, and createdjoint support system for venture company, amongcooperation with industry, government and university.

It was difficult to reconstruct traditionalshopping street for only shop owners.

The local government financially supported supporterswho attracted more clients by making events.

(9) Local culture, cityscapes and sceneries are important to create

distinctive urban communities

We realized the importance of reviving culture or land scape, which

encouraged affected people to stand up from the ashes.


Many artists or relevant people launched art,festival and other culture activities. But there wasnot support system.

The local government opened a new concert hall orfinancially supported culture activities.

(10) Inter-regional coordination and exchange

Coordination is important to promote cooperation among many different

type of supporters.


It was impossible for only affected localgovernments to respond to disasters.

The local government has extended agreement formutual cooperation with other governments,business companies in the case of disaster.

Dispatch experienced staff in the fields of disaster management, budget, personnel, policy planning, environment, welfare, medical, business, industry, civil engineering, architecture, urban planning, education, and so on

(11) International cooperation for disaster reduction

We have responsibility to reciprocate to kind consideration from overseas.

It is important to disseminate lessons we got from disaster, not to repeat the

same tragedy.


We had not expected people around the worldto give their hands to us.

The local government have encouraged citizens to givedonation, when big disasters happened in foreigncountries. The government also dispatched their staff tosupport overseas affected sites. They also cooperatedwith JICA to give lectures to trainees from overseas.

(12) Disseminate information based on the experience and lessons

learned from the earthquake

It is important to disseminate the lessons we got from the disaster, not to

repeat the same tragedy.


We should foster theculture to disseminatelessons to the nextgeneration.

The local government, in cooperation with the national government, establishedthe organization for disaster cooperation and humanitarian support (= DisasterReduction and Human Renovation Institute).The government verified their Build Back Better activities in the 3rd, 5th and 10thanniversaries. It also stipulated January 17 to be “memorial day for volunteer anddisaster reduction” to continue activities not to forget that disaster.

Prepare for Future Nankai Trough Tsunami and Earthquake Disaster in Tokushima Prefecture

1. Death toll : 31,300 (ground shaking:3,900, landslide:30, tsunami:26,900, and fire:470)

2. Totally collapsed buildings : 116,400 (ground shaking:60,900, liquefaction:540, landslide:360, tsunami:42,300 and fire:12,300)

Earthquake

intensity

Tokushima Prefecture

Expected Tsunami Inundated Areas in Tokushima Prefecture

( We should consider both earthquake & tsunami)

1. Height of tsunami (32 places)• More than 15 m : 2• 10-15 m :10• 5-10 m :19• 0-5 m :4

2. First tsunami arrival time (13 places)• within 10 minutes :2• 10-15 minutes :4• 15-20 minutes :1• 20-30 minutes :1• 30-40 minutes :0• 40-50 minutes :4• 50-60 minutes :0• 60-70 minutes :1

Damage Estimation & Disaster Risk Reduction

Factor & expected death toll

Ground shaking

3,900

Landslide

30

Tsunami

26,900

Fire

470

Total

31,300


Ground shaking

410

Landslide

30

Tsunami

20,200

Fire

30

Total

20,700


Ground shaking

410

Landslide

30

Tsunami

5,900

Fire

30

Total

6,400

Earthquake resistance measures(from 72% to 100%)

1. Earthquake resistant building2. Furniture fall prevention

Immediate evacuation

1. Disaster education & training2. Voluntary disaster management group3. Awareness for evacuation



Ground shaking

410

Landslide

30

Tsunami

5,900

Fire

30

Total

6,400


Ground shaking

410

Landslide

30

Tsunami

1,600

Fire

30

Total

2,100


Ground shaking

0

Landslide

0

Tsunami

0

Fire

0

Total

0

Ensure evacuation site

1. Ensure evacuation site from tsunami2. Develop evacuation route

Further countermeasures(*)

*1

*2

*3

*4

*5


(*1) Ground shaking“Antic-seismic room in a house” “No furniture fall”

(*2) Land slide “Improve steep land” “ Proper land use”

(*3) Tsunami “Ensure escape route out of collapsed house”“Evacuation system for people in need of care”“Capacity building against disaster by local residents”“Sleeping on the second and upper floors”“Relocation into hilly site”

(*4) Fire“Strengthen fire fighting capacity（消防力）”

Summary and Challenging Issue

1. Local government, which is closer to affected people, are the mainbody to cope with disaster in Japan.

2. That responsibility ranges from mitigation, preparation, response,recovery to B.B.B.

3. We should increase the capacity of local government to prepare forfuture huge disaster, in cooperation with the national government.

4. The main role of the national government is to give technical advice,provide financial resource and build up system for localgovernment.

5. The preparation includes not only hard infrastructure, but also softmeasures like disaster education and public awareness.

6. Cooperation among local governments or with private sectorsshould be increased.

Thank you for your attention !

If you have any enquiries, please do not

hesitate to contact to me

[email protected]

local government capacity in japan

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