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Community Development and Disaster Preparedness in a Depopulated Society: Case of Tosashimizu City, Kochi Prefecture

2013; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-4-431-54246-9_8

2196-4106

Junko Mimaki, Rajib Shaw,

Earthquake and Disaster Impact Studies

Japan is known for its vulnerability to disasters. Japan is highly ranked fourth (ranked 16th) in world risk index (United Nations University et al., World Risk Report, 2012). Furthermore, since Japan is located in the boundary between the oceanic plate and the continental plate, it is more geographically vulnerable to damage by earthquakes and volcanoes than other countries [Cabinet Office, Bousaihakusho (White paper on disaster preparedness), 2007a]. And since Japan is surrounded by the sea and has complicated coast lines, the coastal areas, particularly where populations, assets, and city function have accumulated, are vulnerable to tsunamis (Cabinet Office, Bousaihakusho (White paper on disaster preparedness), 2008a). The occurrence of the Great East Japan earthquake (magnitude 9.0) in 2011 is still fresh in our memory. It triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 m. A considerable number of casualties were reported: 15,878 deaths, 6,126 injured, and 2,713 missing across 20 prefectures. A wide-ranging damage was also experienced: the collapse of houses, destruction of buildings by fire, aquatic submersion of houses by tsunamis, damage to fishery harbors by castaways, and more. Though the Japanese government has promoted community based disaster preparedness in collaboration with local governments, communities in rural areas have gradually faced society's rapid aging and depopulation. For some communities, it has become more difficult to implement even a communal event. In such a case, what should be paid attention to promote community based disaster preparedness by a local government? This chapter focuses on a Japanese rural community categorized as "a marginal village", of which communal activities stagnated at the commencement of community based disaster preparedness. This study was conducted through field surveys in the length of 8 years. It attempts to clarify key factors to promote communal activities for disaster preparedness and to show that it is indispensable for local governments to promote them in the perspective of community development in order to induce the capacity of a community for disaster preparedness and enroot that in the community.