Government Institutions Available at Time of the 3.11 Disaster for the Emergency Management

Abstract

Government disaster management includes various policy measures such as disaster prevention measures, emergency disaster control measures, and disaster recovery and rehabilitation measures. The volume and variety of programs in disaster management are in fact so many for one ministry to take charge. In Japan, all the government ministries are more or less in charge of disaster management. Therefore, overall coordination of disaster management programs of each ministry is indispensable to effectively undertake disaster management measures. In addition, disaster management cannot be carried out only by the central government but need to be organized by local governments and further private companies that run public utilities or public transportation or broadcasting businesses. In addition, disaster management particularly relief operations has been vigorously participated, by the community organizations, NPO, and citizens cooperation in cooperation with the relevant local and central government, particularly after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995. Comprehensive institutional arrangements covering the central government, local governments, public corporations and relevant private companies, and nongovernmental organizations should be needed for effective disaster management.