Tuesday marks the 17th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake--a day to pray for the repose of the souls of people killed by the catastrophic earthquake.
We believe that this year, people will also pay tribute to the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake that hit the Tohoku region 10 months ago, and wish for steady progress toward reconstruction from the disaster.
There is one thing we need to think about on this occasion. Have we applied the lessons of the Jan 17, 1995, disaster to the March 11 disaster?
The Hanshin earthquake found most people living in the disaster-hit areas unprepared. Residents and local governments lacked sufficient provision for major earthquakes as they shared the notion that the Kansai region was safe from such events.
Many buildings, especially old wooden houses, lacked reinforcement against major earthquakes. Over 6,000 people were killed by the Hanshin earthquake, with more than 80 per cent of the deaths caused by collapsed houses or toppled furniture. The local governments' negligence in taking adequate measures in areas heavily crowded with buildings and houses resulted in the spread of fire caused by the earthquake.
What the Hanshin quake tells us
Three years ago, the Hyogo prefectual government published a book called "Tsutaeru Hanshin-Awaji Daishinsai-no Kyokun" (Passing on the lessons of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake), which identified 100 lessons to be learned from the earthquake. The lessons were gleaned from the process of post-disaster reconstruction.
The book says that immediately after disasters, it is important for residents to cooperate with firefighters and police to rescue people trapped in houses. The book also stresses the importance of offering help to the elderly and others who need particular assistance ahead of other people in confirming their safety and in evacuation.
The prefectural government points out in the book the necessity of joint academic, industrial and government efforts to create new industries during reconstruction. The book also says the early resumption of company activities at this stage will lead to job security.
The Law on Support for Reconstructing Livelihoods of Disaster Victims, which was enacted three years after the Hanshin earthquake, enabled the central government to subsidise the reconstruction of houses damaged by the earthquake, overcoming a basic barrier to public funding--the fact that houses are private property. The book says that the law has made it easier for people to rebuild their homes, which was one of the most difficult tasks after the earthquake.
These issues, addressed in the book, are similar to the tasks now being faced by the areas hit by the March 11 disaster. The book would be a good reference for local governments nationwide in drawing up disaster prevention plans, as well as working out reconstruction measures for when disaster strikes.
It took about four hours for the governor of Hyogo Prefecture to ask the Self-Defence Forces to mobilise for disaster aid after the Hanshin earthquake. In the case of the March 11 earthquake, governors began asking the SDF to dispatch troops from six minutes after the quake. We can say the lessons of the Hanshin earthquake were applied to the March 11 earthquake in this regard.
Expect the 'unexpected'
The size of the earthquake and the height of the tsunami on March 11 were both far beyond the estimates made before the disaster. Regions hit by the tsunami had applied antiquake measures to buildings and made hazard maps based on the experience of tsunamis that hit the regions in the past. The municipalities had also conducted emergency drills periodically. However, all these measures proved ineffectual in situations beyond their expectations.
The unexpected situations included secondary disasters such as vehicles and houses catching fire as they were carried away by tsunami and soil liquefaction extending over a wide area. Another example is the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, caused by a total loss of power in the plant itself after the disaster.
It is said that the Japanese archipelago has entered a period of brisk seismic activity. An earthquake with an epicenter directly below the Tokyo metropolitan area will definitely occur in the future, just as it is nearly certain that the anticipated Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai major earthquakes will occur simultaneously.
To minimise damage from such earthquakes, we need to learn various lessons from the Hanshin earthquake and the March 11 disaster. We should continue reforming our disaster prevention schemes, bearing in mind that things beyond our expectation do occur. Each individual also needs to renew their awareness--on this important day--that we live on an archipelago prone to disasters.
Editorial Desk
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Publication Date : 17-01-2012
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=26520&sec=3
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