Mikio Ishiwatari

The world faces difficulties managing disasters while making efforts to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The paper aims at proposing policies and approaches to manage dual disasters of flooding and COVID-19. It reviews on-going efforts of organizations in the humanitarian assistance, water and sanitation, disaster management and health sectors. Based on review works the policy was recommended. The objective of the policy is to protect human life, in particular, vulnerable groups, from the human s

It is widely recognized that an integrated approach is needed to reduce flood risks. Many countries are introducing adaptive and integrated systems of risk management in addition to conventional structural and engineering solutions. This paper aims at proposing approach of strengthening a flood risk governance, in particular, collaborative mechanism. The integrated approach involves a wide range of stakeholders of central and local governments, private sector, academia, local communities engagin

Coordinating a wide range of organizations is crucial for disaster management. This paper reviews the coordinating mechanisms of disaster management in Japan, in particular focusing on the relationship between national and local governments. While local governments have the principal responsibility of managing disasters, they often have limited capacity and experience in disaster management. Furthermore, they are often overstretched with the various tasks of response and recovery. Supporting loc

As population is growing and urbanization is progressing, higher numbers of people are exposed to disaster risks, especially in developing countries. Climate change is further worsening impacts of existing risks and introducing new risks in the form of heat stress, water scarcity, water and vector borne diseases and extreme events. There is no doubt that countries need to investment more in disaster risk reduction (DRR) together with climate change adaptation (CCA) not only to minimize impacts b

Drones, unmanned aerial systems, are of growing interest to organizations involved in disaster risk reduction, particularly in post-disaster emergency response. Despite the potential benefits of drones, their use is not well established and practical challenges need to be understood. This study examines the role of drones in disaster management by analyzing various applications of drones in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024. Drones were used on the ground in a variety of

Investing in disaster risk reduction is crucial in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals since natural disasters can impede sustainable development by causing economic and human losses. To consider investment in disaster risk reduction, policymakers need information on appropriate scales of investment depending on disaster damage occurred and socioeconomic development. However, there is a limited number of empirical studies that examine investment in disaster risk reduction, since the data

The community plays a crucial role in disaster risk reduction (DRR). The Hyogo Declaration adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe in 2005 stresses that strengthening community-level capacities to reduce disaster risk at the local level is especially needed (UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [UNISDR], 2005). Following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 in Japan, community-based organizations (CBOs) have conducted various activities, such a

Flooding has become a serious issue in rapidly urbanizing countries. It is widely recognized that flood damages in urban areas can be decreased by taking an integrated risk management approach. This approach, however, has not been realized easily in major cities in Asia. The purpose of this paper is to examine the crucial issues in adopting the integrated approach to developing countries. It reviews Japanese experience and lessons of managing urban flood risks, and compares these lessons with si

The financial mechanisms established from the long-term perspective could support an increase in budgets for flood protection, leading to a decrease in damage. However, established financing mechanisms may weaken the financial flexibility of the country.

A central theme of the entire study is the pivotal role of national governments to ensure that disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation (CCA) are given a place as a priority concern. This thread runs through all the chapters but is particularly signifi cant in this chapter. The complexity of governmental functions, sectors and levels can prove an obstacle to risk management, but the chapter picks up another underlying thread: the need to weld different factions and secto

A resilient building environment is crucial for securing sustainable development in urban areas, as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 11 stresses. In developing countries in particular, the risk of disasters is increasing due to the poorly built environment caused by urbanization. However, building disaster resilience in vulnerable urban environments characterized by aging houses, limited public spaces, and complex land rights and tenancy issues poses a major challenge. This study

Water resources management needs to be strengthened to address increasing flood and drought risks exacerbated by climate change and socio-economic development. This requires effective water governance mechanisms that can reduce vulnerability in disasters while managing complex stakeholder relationships. This paper analyzes the evolution of water governance in Japan over more than half a century, examining how the country transformed from a centralized, top-down approach to a more collaborative m