Tag - disaster

 
 

DISASTER

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at a G20 summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2024
Ishiba calls for disaster reduction efforts at G20
Ishiba also said there is no time to lose to deal with large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons.
The streets of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, in October show that the city is still struggling from the aftermath of the Jan. 1 earthquake and heavy rain in September.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Nov 15, 2024
Japan faces urgent need to boost state finances for emergencies
If a major earthquake were to strike directly beneath Tokyo, the projected damage would total around ¥107.5 trillion.
Workers repair a damaged road on Jan. 7 in the aftermath of an earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2024
New minister promises ample budget for disaster resilience
"Improving the country's resilience is an extremely important task," Hiromasa Nakano said in an interview.
In 2017, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government became the first among Japan's local authorities to issue green bonds.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 12, 2024
More municipalities tap green bonds as demand makes rates favorable
Green bond issuance by local government authorities in Japan has risen from ¥149.3 billion in 2022 to ¥443.1 billion in 2023.
An elderly woman lies on the floor of a classroom at an elementary school in Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture, in March 2011 following the Great East Japan Earthquake earlier that month.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2024
Tokyo government looks to ensure everyone has a bed at evacuation centers
The capital hopes to improve living conditions at evacuation centers and boost its disaster response capability.
The seaside town of Shika on the Noto Peninsula, where the local power provider, Hokuriku Electric, has been fighting for a decade to restart a nuclear power plant in the town’s center.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 2, 2024
Can quake-prone Japan ever embrace nuclear energy again?
The government, its makeup in flux after the LDP lost seats this week, will soon need to make decisions that will shape Japan's future nuclear policy.
Water supply support is provided in January in areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture, where residents are facing water outages.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2024
Seismic upgrading done for only 14.6% of key facility water pipelines
The findings suggest there are challenges to ensuring a stable water supply in the event of a disaster.
Residents walk past wreckage following deadly floods in Sedavi, south of Valencia, eastern Spain, on Wednesday.
WORLD
Oct 31, 2024
Spain's warning system under scrutiny as flood toll rises
Torrential rains that began at the start of the week sparked flooding that has left at least 95 people dead.
The number of public elementary and junior high school buildings without quake-resistance in Japan totaled 135 as of April 1, down by 60 from a year before.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2024
Only 135 of Japan's public schools not quake-resistant
By prefecture, Ehime saw the lowest proportion of quake-resistant school buildings, at 98.0%.
A bridge linking Izushima and the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture is scheduled to open in December.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 30, 2024
Onagawa nuclear plant's restart sparks concerns over evacuation routes
Residents, particularly those of islands close to the newly restarted plant, lament the limited options for escaping a disaster.
Rescuers take part in a drill held at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2024
Large-scale drill held at Haneda Airport
More than 1,000 participants practiced procedures for putting out fires and rescuing people involved in an accident.
Vending machine enthusiast Kenzaburo Ishida
JAPAN / Society
Oct 24, 2024
Useful even in disasters: Japan's ever-evolving vending machines
Vending machine enthusiast Kenzaburo Ishida breaks down their unique appeal, evolution and crucial role in times of disaster.
The vast space and massive pillars of the Metropolitan Outer Area Underground Discharge Channel dwarf visitors.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 24, 2024
Massive underground infrastructure protects the Tokyo metropolitan area from floods
The Metropolitan Outer Area Underground Discharge Channel is a unique feat of engineering built to keep homes and businesses safe and dry.
Plaintiffs in a damages lawsuit over the 2014 eruption of Mount Ontake enter the Tokyo High Court in the capital's Kasumigaseki district on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 21, 2024
Tokyo High Court rejects damages claim over Ontake eruption deaths
The presiding judge overturned a lower court's finding that Meteorological Agency officials violated their duty of care in the 2014 disaster.
A farmer salvages some of the harvest from a flooded rice field near Hanoi on Sept. 24
ENVIRONMENT
Oct 16, 2024
AI enhances flood warnings but cannot fully erase risk of disaster
One issue is that the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence model is only as good as the information it is fed.
A man searches through the rubble of a wrecked house in the Turkish town of Cankiri after a strong earthquake hit central Turkey in June 2000.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 13, 2024
Earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters will shape our future cities
The progress of Antakya’s renewal bears watching. However it proceeds, there will be lessons to learn.
Oita Prefecture's new fire and ambulance command center, located in the city of Oita, accepts live video footage from callers, allowing dispatchers to assess emergency situations more accurately.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 7, 2024
Oita Prefecture first in Japan to launch centralized fire command center
The new command center centralizes emergency 119 call response at the prefecture level, and scales up as needed during major disasters.
A girl charges her phone at the Delpan Evacuation Center after Typhoon Kammuri hit Manila in December 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 7, 2024
Crowd-sourcing data could help Philippines tackle deadly floods
The Philippines is hit by around 20 large storms every year and, due to climate change, that is expected to only get worse.
A damaged road in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 6, after a major earthquake struck the area on New Year's Day
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / OUR PLANET
Oct 6, 2024
Important tool or alarmism? Japan experts split on megaquake advisories.
Supporters say the advisories are about reducing risk, but critics see a system that isn’t based on science and one in which the cons outweigh the pros.
An emergency shelter in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, set up in January after a powerful earthquake earlier that month. The central government plans to survey the level of stockpiles at temporary shelters around the country.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 6, 2024
Japanese government to survey stockpiles at designated shelters
The survey is expected to cover stocks of food, blankets, baby formula, paper diapers for infants and adults, portable toilets, toilet paper and sanitary products.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?