Learning from Megadisasters

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464801541
Total Pages : 391 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Learning from Megadisasters by : Federica Ranghieri

Download or read book Learning from Megadisasters written by Federica Ranghieri and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2014-06-26 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While not all natural disasters can be avoided, their impact on a population can be mitigated through effective planning and preparedness. These are the lessons to be learned from Japan's own megadisaster: the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, the fi rst disaster ever recorded that included an earthquake, a tsunami, a nuclear power plant accident, a power supply failure, and a large-scale disruption of supply chains. It is a sad fact that poor communities are often hardest hit and take the longest to recover from disaster. Disaster risk management (DRM) should therefore be taken into account as a major development challenge, and countries must shift from a tradition of response to a culture of prevention and resilience. Learning from Megadisasters: Lessons from the Great East Japan Earthquake consolidates a set of 36 Knowledge Notes, research results of a joint study undertaken by the Government of Japan and the World Bank. These notes highlight key lessons learned in seven DRM thematic clusters—structural measures; nonstructural measures; emergency response; reconstruction planning; hazard and risk information and decision making; the economics of disaster risk, risk management, and risk fi nancing; and recovery and relocation. Aimed at sharing Japanese cutting-edge knowledge with practitioners and decision makers, this book provides valuable guidance to other disaster-prone countries for mainstreaming DRM in their development policies and weathering their own natural disasters.

Dealing with Disaster in Japan

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136641084
Total Pages : 345 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (366 download)

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Book Synopsis Dealing with Disaster in Japan by : Christopher Hood

Download or read book Dealing with Disaster in Japan written by Christopher Hood and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just as the sinking of the Titanic is embedded in the public consciousness in the English-speaking world, so the crash of JAL flight JL123 is part of the Japanese collective memory. The 1985 crash involved the largest loss of life for any single air crash in the world. 520 people, many of whom had been returning to their ancestral home for the Obon religious festival, were killed; there were only four survivors. This book tells the story of the crash, discusses the many controversial issues surrounding it, and considers why it has come to have such importance for many Japanese. It shows how the Japanese responded to the disaster: trying to comprehend how a faulty repair may have caused the crash, and the fact that rescue services took such a long time to reach the remote crash site; how the bereaved dealt with their loss; how the media in Japan and in the wider world reported the disaster; and how the disaster is remembered and commemorated. The book highlights the media coverage of anniversary events and the Japanese books and films about the crash; the very particular memorialization process in Japan, alongside Japanese attitudes to death and religion; it points out in what ways this crash both reflects typical Japanese behaviour and in what ways the crash is unique.

Natural Disaster and Nuclear Crisis in Japan

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136343474
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (363 download)

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Book Synopsis Natural Disaster and Nuclear Crisis in Japan by : Jeff Kingston

Download or read book Natural Disaster and Nuclear Crisis in Japan written by Jeff Kingston and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-03-12 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan plunged the country into a state of crisis. As the nation struggled to recover from a record breaking magnitude 9 earthquake and a tsunami that was as high as thirty-eight meters in some places, news trickled out that Fukushima had experienced meltdowns in three reactors. These tragic catastrophes claimed some 20,000 lives, initially displacing some 500,000 people and overwhelming Japan's formidable disaster preparedness. This book brings together the analysis and insights of a group of distinguished experts on Japan to examine what happened, how various institutions and actors responded and what lessons can be drawn from Japan’s disaster. The contributors, many of whom experienced the disaster first hand, assess the wide-ranging repercussions of this catastrophe and how it is already reshaping Japanese culture, politics, energy policy, and urban planning.

3.11

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Author :
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 0801468027
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis 3.11 by : Richard J. Samuels

Download or read book 3.11 written by Richard J. Samuels and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-15 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by the shockwaves of a 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake originating less than 50 miles off its eastern coastline. The most powerful earthquake to have hit Japan in recorded history, it produced a devastating tsunami with waves reaching heights of over 130 feet that in turn caused an unprecedented multireactor meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This triple catastrophe claimed almost 20,000 lives, destroyed whole towns, and will ultimately cost hundreds of billions of dollars for reconstruction.In 3.11, Richard Samuels offers the first broad scholarly assessment of the disaster's impact on Japan's government and society. The events of March 2011 occurred after two decades of social and economic malaise—as well as considerable political and administrative dysfunction at both the national and local levels—and resulted in national soul-searching. Political reformers saw in the tragedy cause for hope: an opportunity for Japan to remake itself. Samuels explores Japan's post-earthquake actions in three key sectors: national security, energy policy, and local governance. For some reformers, 3.11 was a warning for Japan to overhaul its priorities and political processes. For others, it was a once-in-a-millennium event; they cautioned that while national policy could be improved, dramatic changes would be counterproductive. Still others declared that the catastrophe demonstrated the need to return to an idealized past and rebuild what has been lost to modernity and globalization.Samuels chronicles the battles among these perspectives and analyzes various attempts to mobilize popular support by political entrepreneurs who repeatedly invoked three powerfully affective themes: leadership, community, and vulnerability. Assessing reformers’ successes and failures as they used the catastrophe to push their particular agendas—and by examining the earthquake and its aftermath alongside prior disasters in Japan, China, and the United States—Samuels outlines Japan’s rhetoric of crisis and shows how it has come to define post-3.11 politics and public policy.

The Fukushima and Tohoku Disaster

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Author :
Publisher : Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN 13 : 0128129654
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis The Fukushima and Tohoku Disaster by : School of Societal Safety Sciences

Download or read book The Fukushima and Tohoku Disaster written by School of Societal Safety Sciences and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2017-10-26 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fukushima and Tohoku Disaster: A Review of the Five-Year Reconstruction Efforts covers the outcome of the response, five years later, to the disasters associated with the Great East Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011. The 3.11 disaster, as it is referred to in Japan, was a complex accident, the likes of which humans had never faced before. This book evaluates the actions taken during and after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, for which the Japanese government and people were not prepared. The book also provides recommendations for preparing and responding to disasters for those working and living in disaster-prone areas, making it a vital resource for disaster managers and government agencies. - Includes guidelines for governments, communities and businesses in areas where similar complex disasters are likely to occur - Provides information, propositions, suggestions and advice from the people that were involved in making suggestions to the Japanese government - Features case studies (both pre- and post-disaster) of three simultaneous disasters: the Great East Japan earthquake, the resulting tsunami, and the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster

Community Practices for Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9784431561361
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (613 download)

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Book Synopsis Community Practices for Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan by : Rajib Shaw

Download or read book Community Practices for Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan written by Rajib Shaw and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents key lessons from community-based risk-reduction practices in Japan, a country that is often hit by disasters and that also has shown strong resilience in coping with those disasters. Japan has a strong governance system for disaster risk reduction. However, the Kobe earthquake of 1995 showed the importance of community involvement in disaster response as well as recovery. With several examples from different parts of Japan, the book elaborates on the importance of community-based risk reduction and the innovations required for sustaining some of the community approaches. The book has 13 chapters and is divided into three parts: (1) Evolution of community-based risk reduction in Japan; (2) Community-based risk-reduction issues; and (3) Case studies. The primary target groups for this book are students and researchers in the fields of environment, disaster risk reduction, and climate change studies. The book provides them with a good idea of the current research trends in the field and furnishes basic knowledge about these vital topics. Another target group comprises practitioners and policy makers, who will be able to apply the knowledge collected here to policy and decision-making.

Black Wave

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Author :
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 022663843X
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (266 download)

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Book Synopsis Black Wave by : Daniel P. Aldrich

Download or read book Black Wave written by Daniel P. Aldrich and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2019-07-10 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the devastation caused by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and 60-foot tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, some 96% of those living and working in the most disaster-stricken region of Tōhoku made it through. Smaller earthquakes and tsunamis have killed far more people in nearby China and India. What accounts for the exceptionally high survival rate? And why is it that some towns and cities in the Tōhoku region have built back more quickly than others? Black Wave illuminates two critical factors that had a direct influence on why survival rates varied so much across the Tōhoku region following the 3/11 disasters and why the rebuilding process has also not moved in lockstep across the region. Individuals and communities with stronger networks and better governance, Daniel P. Aldrich shows, had higher survival rates and accelerated recoveries. Less-connected communities with fewer such ties faced harder recovery processes and lower survival rates. Beyond the individual and neighborhood levels of survival and recovery, the rebuilding process has varied greatly, as some towns and cities have sought to work independently on rebuilding plans, ignoring recommendations from the national government and moving quickly to institute their own visions, while others have followed the guidelines offered by Tokyo-based bureaucrats for economic development and rebuilding.

Asia-Pacific Disaster Management

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3642397689
Total Pages : 311 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (423 download)

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Book Synopsis Asia-Pacific Disaster Management by : Simon Butt

Download or read book Asia-Pacific Disaster Management written by Simon Butt and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book outlines the regulatory environment for disaster prevention and management in broad social, economic and political context. The first half of the book focuses mainly on Japan, especially the ‘3-11’ events: the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Tohoku area on 11 March 2011 and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant radiation leaks. The second half focuses on the USA (the only other Asia-Pacific country to have experienced a serious nuclear emergency), Indonesia, China, New Zealand, Australia and international law. One question explored is whether socio-legal norms play different roles in preventing and managing responses to natural disasters compared to ‘man-made’ disasters. Another is how ‘disaster law’ interacts with society across very diverse societies in the disaster-prone Asia-Pacific region. The book also addresses the increasingly important roles played by international law and regional regimes for cross-border cooperation in disaster prevention and relief, including the functions played by military forces. Erudite, pragmatic, and charged with detailed, substantive knowledge of an astonishing range of contexts and research fields, this timely collection of important essays on the law and society of disaster management stands as an exemplary international academic response to the disasters of 11 March 2011. (Annelise Riles)

Ghosts of the Tsunami

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Author :
Publisher : MCD
ISBN 13 : 0374710937
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (747 download)

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Book Synopsis Ghosts of the Tsunami by : Richard Lloyd Parry

Download or read book Ghosts of the Tsunami written by Richard Lloyd Parry and published by MCD. This book was released on 2017-10-24 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Named one of the best books of 2017 by The Guardian, NPR, GQ, The Economist, Bookforum, and Lit Hub The definitive account of what happened, why, and above all how it felt, when catastrophe hit Japan—by the Japan correspondent of The Times (London) and author of People Who Eat Darkness On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake sent a 120-foot-high tsunami smashing into the coast of northeast Japan. By the time the sea retreated, more than eighteen thousand people had been crushed, burned to death, or drowned. It was Japan’s greatest single loss of life since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. It set off a national crisis and the meltdown of a nuclear power plant. And even after the immediate emergency had abated, the trauma of the disaster continued to express itself in bizarre and mysterious ways. Richard Lloyd Parry, an award-winning foreign correspondent, lived through the earthquake in Tokyo and spent six years reporting from the disaster zone. There he encountered stories of ghosts and hauntings, and met a priest who exorcised the spirits of the dead. And he found himself drawn back again and again to a village that had suffered the greatest loss of all, a community tormented by unbearable mysteries of its own. What really happened to the local children as they waited in the schoolyard in the moments before the tsunami? Why did their teachers not evacuate them to safety? And why was the unbearable truth being so stubbornly covered up? Ghosts of the Tsunami is a soon-to-be classic intimate account of an epic tragedy, told through the accounts of those who lived through it. It tells the story of how a nation faced a catastrophe, and the struggle to find consolation in the ruins.

Global Warming and Climate Change

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Author :
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9781349315109
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (151 download)

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Book Synopsis Global Warming and Climate Change by : A. Marquina

Download or read book Global Warming and Climate Change written by A. Marquina and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2010-02-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This compendium looks at Asian and European policies for dealing with climate change, and possible impacts on conflicts and security. It clarifies the impacts of climate change on natural resources, on the frequency and expansion of natural disasters and the repercussions for environmentally-induced migration.

Meltdown!

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Publisher : Twenty-First Century Books ™
ISBN 13 : 1512453005
Total Pages : 97 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (124 download)

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Book Synopsis Meltdown! by : Fred Bortz

Download or read book Meltdown! written by Fred Bortz and published by Twenty-First Century Books ™. This book was released on 2017-01-01 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japan. March 11, 2011. 2:46 P.M. The biggest earthquake in Japan's history—and one of the world's five most powerful since 1900—devastated the Tohoku region, 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of Tokyo. It triggered a huge tsunami that left crippling damage in its wake. More than 13,000 people drowned, and thousands of buildings and homes were reduced to rubble. As people assessed the damage, they made the most frightening discovery of all: the Fukushima #1 nuclear power plant was seriously damaged and three of its six reactors were heading for meltdowns. Workers tried desperately—but unsuccessfully—to save them. Explosions and fires released radioactivity into the air. Within days the Japanese government declared a 20-kilometer (12-mile) evacuation zone. The future of the plant, the long-term health of those exposed to radiation, and the effects on the environment remained uncertain. Learn more about this massive catastrophe as Dr. Fred Bortz examines both the human tragedy and the scientific implications of the nuclear meltdown. Compare this disaster to similar nuclear events in the United States and in Ukraine, and move ahead with Dr. Bortz as he explores the global debate about the future of nuclear power and alternative sources of energy.

Governance, Risk and Financial Impact of Mega Disasters

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 9811390053
Total Pages : 124 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (113 download)

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Book Synopsis Governance, Risk and Financial Impact of Mega Disasters by : Akiko Kamesaka

Download or read book Governance, Risk and Financial Impact of Mega Disasters written by Akiko Kamesaka and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-23 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses researchers, practitioners, and policy makers interested in understanding the financial implications of mega-disaster risks as well as in seeking possible solutions with regard to governance, the allocation of financial risk, and resilience. The first part of this book takes the example of Japan and studies the impact of mega earthquakes on government finance, debt positions of private household and businesses, capital markets, and investor behavior by way of economic modeling as well as case studies from recent major disasters. In Japan, the probability of a mega earthquake hitting dense agglomerations is very high. Like other large-scale natural disasters, such events carry systemic risks, i.e., they can trigger disruptions endangering the stability of the social, economic, and political order. The second part looks at the experience of the Japanese government as a provider of disaster-risk finance and an active partner in international collaboration. It concludes with an analysis of the general characteristics of systemic risk and approaches to improve resilience.

The Era of Great Disasters

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Author :
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 047212725X
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (721 download)

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Book Synopsis The Era of Great Disasters by : Makoto Iokibe

Download or read book The Era of Great Disasters written by Makoto Iokibe and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2020-09-25 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Era of Great Disasters examines modern disaster response in Japan, from the changing earthquake preparations and regulations, to immediate emergency procedures from the national, prefectural, and city levels, and finally the evolving efforts of rebuilding and preparing for the next great disaster in the hopes of minimizing their tragic effects. This book focuses on three major earthquakes from Japan’s modern history. The first is the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake, which struck the capital region. The second is the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, affecting the area between Kobe and Osaka. The third is the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the magnitude 9.0 quake that struck off the Pacific coast of the Tōhoku region, causing a devastating tsunami and nuclear accident. While the events of (and around) each of these earthquakes are unique, Professor Iokibe brings his deep expertise and personal experience to each disaster, unveiling not only the disasters themselves but the humanity underneath. In each case, he gives attention and gratitude to those who labored to save lives and restore the communities affected, from the individuals on the scene to government officials and military personnel and emergency responders, in the hope that we might learn from the past and move forward with greater wisdom, knowledge, and common purpose.

Imaging Disaster

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Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520954246
Total Pages : 494 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (29 download)

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Book Synopsis Imaging Disaster by : Gennifer Weisenfeld

Download or read book Imaging Disaster written by Gennifer Weisenfeld and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-11-14 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focusing on one landmark catastrophic event in the history of an emerging modern nation—the Great Kanto Earthquake that devastated Tokyo and surrounding areas in 1923—this fascinating volume examines the history of the visual production of the disaster. The Kanto earthquake triggered cultural responses that ran the gamut from voyeuristic and macabre thrill to the romantic sublime, media spectacle to sacred space, mournful commemoration to emancipatory euphoria, and national solidarity to racist vigilantism and sociopolitical critique. Looking at photography, cinema, painting, postcards, sketching, urban planning, and even scientific visualizations, Weisenfeld demonstrates how visual culture has powerfully mediated the evolving historical understanding of this major national disaster, ultimately enfolding mourning and memory into modernization.

Japan after 3/11

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Author :
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
ISBN 13 : 0813167329
Total Pages : 497 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (131 download)

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Book Synopsis Japan after 3/11 by : Pradyumna P. Karan

Download or read book Japan after 3/11 written by Pradyumna P. Karan and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2016-09-27 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On March 11, 2011, an underwater earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, Japan, triggered one of the most devastating tsunamis of a generation. The aftermath was overwhelming: communities were reduced to rubble, thousands of people were missing or dead, and relief organizations struggled to reach affected areas to provide aid for survivors and victims of radiation from compromised nuclear reactors. In Japan after 3/11, editors Pradyumna P. Karan and Unryu Suganuma assemble geographers, economists, humanists, and scientists to consider the complex economic, physical, and social impacts of this heartbreaking disaster. Historical geographers place the events of March 2011 in context, while other contributors assess the damage and recommend strategies for the long process of reclamation and rebuilding. The book also includes interviews with victims that explore the social implications of radioactive contamination and invite comparisons to the discrimination faced by survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Balancing the natural and social sciences, this timely volume offers not only a model of interdisciplinary research for scholars but also an invaluable guide to the planning and implementation of reconstruction.

Human Security and Japan’s Triple Disaster

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 131774747X
Total Pages : 229 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (177 download)

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Book Synopsis Human Security and Japan’s Triple Disaster by : Paul Bacon

Download or read book Human Security and Japan’s Triple Disaster written by Paul Bacon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-27 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japan has been one of the most important international sponsors of human security, yet the concept has hitherto not been considered relevant to the Japanese domestic context. This book applies the human security approach to the specific case of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident that struck Japan on 11 March 2011, which has come to be known as Japan's ‘triple disaster’. This left more than 15,000 people dead and was the most expensive natural disaster in recorded history. The book identifies the many different forms of human insecurity that were produced or exacerbated within Japan by the triple disaster. Each chapter adds to the contemporary literature by identifying the vulnerability of Japanese social groups and communities, and examining how they collectively seek to prevent, respond to and recover from disaster. Emphasis is given to analysis of the more encouraging signs of human empowerment that have occurred. Contributors draw on a wide range of perspectives, from disciplines such as: disaster studies, environmental studies, gender studies, international relations, Japanese studies, philosophy and sociology. In considering this Japanese case study in detail, the book demonstrates to researchers, postgraduate students, policy makers and practitioners how the concept of human security can be practically applied at a policy level to the domestic affairs of developed countries, countering the tendency to regard human security as exclusively for developing states.

Law and Disaster

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351059335
Total Pages : 316 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis Law and Disaster by : Shigenori Matsui

Download or read book Law and Disaster written by Shigenori Matsui and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-09-03 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the 11th of March 2011, an earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale (the most powerful to ever strike Japan) hit the Tohoku region in northern Japan. The earthquake produced a devastating tsunami that wiped out coastal cities and towns, leaving 18,561 people dead or registered as missing. Due to the disaster, the capability of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), was compromised, causing nuclear meltdown. The hydrogen blast destroyed the facilities, resulting in a spread of radioactive materials, and, subsequently, serious nuclear contamination. This combined event – earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown – became known as the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster. This book examines the response of the Japanese government to the disaster, and its attempts to answer the legal questions posed by the combination of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. Japanese law, policy, and infrastructure were insufficiently prepared for these disasters, and the country’s weaknesses were brutally exposed. This book analyses these failings, and discusses what Japan, and other countries, can learn from these events.