Assessing the Intermediate Function of Local Academic Institutions During the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh, Indonesia

There is great scholarly and practical interest in local academic institutions’ potential contributions to community rehabilitation and reconstruction in the wake of disasters. Using survey data, this study seeks to quantitatively verify the intermediate function of local academic institutions in building mutual understanding and consensus between local residents and external actors during disaster recovery efforts. The survey measured Indonesians’ perceptions of disaster relief efforts following the Sumatran earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. It was conducted by Syiah Kuala University Aceh, Indonesia, between July and October 2020. The authors applied parametric methods to analyze the data, including regression analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The analysis results reveal a relationship between the intermediate function of local academic institutions, and residents’ overall satisfaction with disaster recovery efforts. The findings suggest that the institutions’ expected intermediate functions may be influenced by regional factors, and that future policy-makers should consider regional characteristics to improve the efficacy of local disaster response and recovery efforts.

Developing a Model for Disaster Education to Improve Students’ Disaster Mitigation Literacy

Indonesia is a disaster-prone country but public awareness of disasters is still low. To improve community disaster literacy, schools are the most effective vehicle. Improved disaster mitigation literacy can be achieved by integrating disaster education into subjects taught in school and associating it with the local wisdom owned by the community. This research aimed to determine and learn from the local wisdom of lamban langgakh (stilt houses), develop a disaster mitigation literacy model for subjects in schools, and identify the level of disaster mitigation literacy of junior and senior high school students in the West Coast District (WCR) of Lampung Province. The study was conducted in two stages: identifying and analyzing comprehensive information about lamban langgakh and developing an indirect teaching model as a students’ disaster mitigation literacy model through the ADDIE development model. This research produced a new model to improve students’ disaster mitigation literacy by integrating it with school subjects and local wisdom owned by local communities.

What Helps Early Recovery of Disaster-Affected Small Businesses: A Case Study of a Local Cooperative Affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake impacted many business enterprises in the tsunami affected Tohoku region. While the number of disaster related bankruptcies has been increasing in the tsunami-affected areas since 2011, one small shopping district in Natori city, Miyagi, has managed to make an early recovery from the disaster. The Yuriage Port Morning Market (YPMM), which is operated by the Yuriage Port Morning Market Cooperative (YPMMC), managed to resume business operations in its original location just two years and two months after the disaster, and the YPMM now attracts more visitors than it did before the disaster. The present study was designed to explore factors that had helped the YPMMC bring the YPMM back on track after the disaster. Results derived from interview and questionnaire surveys revealed that new business model creation and adaptation, social capital, and leadership seemed to have played significant roles in the early recovery of the YPMM. Although these factors might not have been the only factors contributing to the YPMM’s early recovery, they should have made the difference between the YPMM and other shopping districts that had failed to resume its business operations after the disaster.

Hydrological Modeling of the Astore River Basin, Pakistan, by Integrating Snow and Glacier Melt Processes and Climate Scenarios

The upper Indus River basin has large masses of glaciers that supply meltwater in the summer. Water resources from the upper Indus River basin are crucial for human activities and ecosystems in Pakistan, but they are vulnerable to climate change. This study focuses on the impacts of climate change, particularly the effects of receding glaciers on the water resources in a catchment of the upper Indus river basin. This study predicts river flow using a hydrologic model coupled with temperature-index snow and glacier melt models forced by observed climate data. The basin is divided into seven elevation zones so that the melt components and rainfall-runoff were calculated at each elevation zone. Hydrologic modeling revealed that glaciers contributed one-third of the total flow while snowmelt melt contributed about 40%; rainfall contributed to the remaining flow. Some climate scenarios based on CMIP5 and CORDEX were employed to quantify the impacts of climate change on annual river flows. The glacier retreat in the mid and late centuries is also considered based on climate change scenarios. Future river flows, simulated by the hydrologic model, project significant changes in their quantity and timing. In the mid-century, river flows will increase because of higher precipitation and glacier melt. Simulations projected that until 2050, the overall river flows will increase by 11%, and no change in the shape of the hydrograph is expected. However, this increasing trend in river flows will reverse in the late century because glaciers will not have enough mass to sustain the glacier melt flow. The change will result in a 4.5% decrease in flow, and the timing of the monthly peak flow will shift from June to May. This earlier shift in the streamflow will make water management more difficult in the future, requiring inclusive approaches in water resource management.

The Reality of Disaster Mitigation Activities for Companies in Tokyo’s Central Business District: A Case Study on Support for Stranded Commuters in the Initial Period in Chuo-Ku

In this study, the Council of Policy for Stranded Commuters in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, is considered as an example of local disaster mitigation activities through mutual aid for companies. The process of the activities during the initial period is described, and the points necessary to “establish and maintain the disaster mitigation activities by multiple companies” are summarized. The efforts of the council have led to the development of a community in which various disaster mitigation measures are not limited to those for stranded commuters but include responses to the sick and wounded; these disaster mitigation measures within companies are discussed. As a result, four points are derived as important factors, namely, grasping the local characteristics, forming an organization where the consensus can be built smoothly together with administrative bodies and academics, formulating local behavioral rules, and stipulating the principles behind the activities and the future prospects. The efforts for the local disaster mitigation activities taken up mainly by the residents of communities have been reported in many studies. However, there are few studies on the disaster mitigation activities conducted for companies; as such, only a case study of the measures for stranded commuters in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo has been reported [1]. This is a case study that reports the process of the establishment of disaster mitigation activities for companies; based on the case study of Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, this study takes into consideration the characteristics of Chuo-ku, Tokyo, which has no terminal station.

Towards the Next Stage of the Journal of Disaster Research

In the year 2021, the Journal of Disaster Research (JDR) had two memorable events: Professor MURAKAMI Suminao, one of the founders of the Journal, resigned as the editor-in-chief, and in February the JDR marked its hundredth issue, counting from Vol.1 No.1. These events gave us, the next generation of the editorial board members, the resolve to reinvent the JDR for its leap forward into the next stage. We have accomplished the following two projects this year. Establishment of MURAKAMI Suminao Award for Disaster Research and the JDR annual awards To acknowledge Professor MURAKAMI’s significant contributions to the JDR and disaster research in general, we rename the JDR Award to the MURAKAMI Suminao Award for Disaster Research. While we present this award to the person who has made the most significant contribution to disaster research as a whole, we hereby establish three more specific JDR annual awards: the JDR Award for the Most Cited Paper, the JDR Award for the Most Downloaded Article, and the JDR Award for the Most Contributory Reviewer. Applying the Creative Commons license The JDR introduced the Creative Commons license in August 2021, thereby becoming a fully open-access journal conforming to the international standard. This project makes all articles in the JDR easier to reuse and cite in academic activities. Now the JDR is widely known not only in Japan but also all across Asia, and its readership is spreading through North America and Europe. We will continue to strive for the further development of the JDR as an international journal dedicated to comprehensive disaster research.

Benefits of Defining Geological Sensitive Zones in the Mitigation of Disasters Along Earthquake Fault Zones in Taiwan – The Case of Milun Fault

In Taiwan, the main purpose of earthquake fault zone legislation is to prevent earthquake-related disasters around the surface traces of active faults, particularly in urban areas. Here, the Geologically Sensitive Area (GSA) of the Milun Fault (Milun Earthquake Fault Zone) is used as an example to reveal the importance of such legislation. Field data collected along the Milun Fault before and after the 2018 Hualien Earthquake were used to reveal the reappearance of damages within the GSA. The 2018 Hualien Earthquake represents one of the shortest recurrence intervals (67 years) among all major faults in Taiwan. Most of the surface ruptures and damaged buildings in Hualien City were within the Milun Fault GSA and concentrated on the hanging wall of the fault. Moreover, 61% (91/148) of the damaged buildings and 83% (692/835) of the surface ruptures occurred within 100 m of the fault line. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of defining GSAs of active faults for mitigating earthquake hazards.

Public Reaction to Disaster Reconstruction Policy: Case Studies of the Fukushima and Chernobyl Nuclear Accidents

This study analyzes survey responses of those affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plant accidents, evaluating issues such as recovery, compensation policy, decontamination, welfare, and overall government response. We apply an ordinal logit model to the issues of compensation, decontamination, and repatriation. We found that the people of Bryansk Oblast and those with ongoing health problems were more likely to support continued compensation and victim support programs. Another key finding was the perceived inadequacy of the Japanese government’s reconstruction policy for Fukushima. Monitoring and forestry safety measures were considered insufficient, and agricultural safety measures were particularly disappointing for those with children. More generally, there was support for planting rapeseed as a biofuel and for opening up the site as a tourist spot. Mega-solar farms or nature reserves were also seen as feasible alternatives to agricultural activities. Those who continued to see nuclear energy as a viable energy source supported the construction of waste treatment and storage facilities. Among the Chernobyl respondents, some supported a return to agricultural land use, citing scientific reports suggesting it was safe. Many said that there should be further investment in scientific research in the area. Fukushima respondents viewed social welfare provision and improved information for victims and residents as important issues. A key lesson for the Japanese government from the Chernobyl experience is the legal regime that was established there, clearly defining the affected areas and people and clarifying the measures required.

Congratulations! The Seventh JDR Award

We announce that the Seventh JDR Award was won by Prof. Suminao Murakami, Laboratory of Urban Safety Planning. We congratulate the winner and sincerely wish for future success.

Radioactive Contamination Countermeasures, Food Inspection Systems, and the Issue of Reputational Damage in the Early Stages of the Nuclear Disaster in Fukushima Prefecture

This paper overviews the achievements and challenges of radioactive contamination countermeasures, food inspection systems, and reputational damage to agricultural products in Fukushima Prefecture during the early stages of the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster. It outlines the effectiveness of early countermeasures such as absorption control measures and soil decontamination, and observes how efforts aimed at revitalizing afflicted areas were initiated and advanced primarily through the leadership of residents and agricultural producers. Furthermore, it examines food inspection systems such as the “all-bag-all-volume” testing system for rice that was implemented in Fukushima, and suggests that a failure to extend such countermeasures to outside of Fukushima Prefecture was a contributing factor to the ongoing issue of reputational damage and consumer reluctance to purchase products from the area. Lastly, the paper categorizes early consumer trends in four groups based on differing perceptions of risk and safety, and concludes that dealing with reputational damage should entail creating maps of radioactive material distribution, and also building a rational inspection system that allows consumers to objectively identify the safety of agricultural products.