New Delhi: India and Japan, two of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, are coming together to address disaster risk. Over a two-day workshop beginning here on Monday, 19th March, experts will discuss issues pertaining to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), especially earthquakes.
Japan is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire and is highly susceptible to earthquakes. Given itslong history of devastating earthquakes, Japan has a very high level of community awareness. Its technological know-how, especially in the area of earthquake risk reduction, is among the most advanced in the world.
India is rapidly urbanising and a massive investment in the infrastructure sector is imminent. As nearly 59% of India’s landmass is prone to moderate to severe earthquakes, it will not only save lives in the event of an earthquake but also make for great economic sense that this investment is made earthquake resilient.
The workshop will present an opportunity to explore as to how Japan invests in making its infrastructure resilient to present and future disaster risks. It will also help understand recent advancements in Japan in the area of earthquake detection and early warning systems and adapt them to India’s context. This will play a vital role in enhancing preparedness and response at every level.
This workshop is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority, India and Government of Japan. Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, will inaugurate this workshop.
The workshop is a follow-up of the Memorandum of Cooperation, which was signed between India and Japan in 2017 during the visit of Mr. Shinjo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, to India. It aims to develop a specific bilateral Action Plan on areas of cooperation in DRR.
The workshop will facilitate knowledge exchange on good practices, lessons learnt and latest technological advancements in the area of disaster risk management. Six technical sessions will be held during the workshop –
i) Disaster Management Policy Framework – Policy Framework (Historical Background, Institution, National Strategy, National Plan for Nankai Trough Earthquake, etc.)
ii) Risk Assessment – How do earthquakes occur? To what extent can these be predicted? Whichkind of earthquakes are likely to occur in Japan and India?
iii) Disaster Resilient Infrastructure – How does policy respond to strengthen infrastructure, in particular, water-related protective infrastructure?
iv) Early Warning System – How does it work? How to communicate early warning to citizens? How does the national government respond following the early warning?
v) Preparedness/Response at sub-national level – How do sub-national governments prepare for and respond to earthquakes? How do local communities develop their resilience by planning in advance?
vi) Approaches by private sector -What kind of technologies and services can private sector offer to reduce damage and loss by earthquakes? What is the socio-economic impact of those technologies and services?
Around 120 delegates from governments of both countries, educational institutes, specialized disaster management agencies, the private sector and civil society organizations will participate in the workshop.
