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How to prevent disaster
Japan is located in the typhoon belt, and is also the Pacific Rim earthquake and volcano belt. This belt extends along the edge of the Pacific Plate and is an area of consistently high seismic and volcanic activity.
Because of this, Japan is subject to many natural disasters each year, including earthquakes, typhoons, torrential rains, heavy snow fall, debris flow, land slides, and volcanic eruptions.
The number of those dead or missing from natural disasters in Japan had been in decline since around 1960, but in the 1990's the country has been struck by frequent large and devastating disasters, including several large typhoons, torrential rains, the eruption of Mt. Unzendake (1991, 44 people dead or missing), the Hokkaido Nansei-Oki Earthquake (1993, 230 people dead or missing), the Great Hansin-Awaji Earthquake (1995, 6433 people dead or missing).
Several years during the decade have recorded more than 1 trillion yen to damage to facilities and structures from natural disasters. In spite of amendment of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act which was passed in 1961 as a result of Ise Bay Typhoon (caused more than 5,000 deaths in 1959.), we have to admit how difficult it is to reduce disasters even with prevention programs and pursuit of scientific and technical research into disaster.
According to a recent government poll, there is apathy toward natural catastrophes increasing. The survey revealed that only one in three people regularly make preparations such as owing first aid kits, flashlights and emergency food and water supplies in the case of a disaster.
And 34% out of 3000 respondents aged 20 and older said they have made no special preparations, up 10.7% from a similar survey taken in September 1997. Officials at the Prime Minister's Office, which conducted the survey, said they fear the figures represent a withering concern among the public toward disasters.
"Natural disasters will come when you are forgetting." So for people to be able to protect themselves from disaster, they must, as individuals, have a greater awareness of disasters before they happen, and must master correct disaster-prevention knowledge and skills.
To accomplish this, Japan has declared September 1 to be "Disaster Prevention Day", August 30 to September 5 to be "Disaster Prevention Week", and January 15 - 20 to be "Disaster Prevention and Volunteers Week", During these times in particular, a series of events is held in cooperation with disaster organizations and local governments.
There are other countries on the earth which are often struck by, what we call, nature's wrath. Whenever monsoons and typhoons strike Asian countries, people ride out the storms and take the inventory of the death and destruction. But now many people see the hand of man in the disaster. In their haste to develop, most countries in the region have paid scant attention to environmental concerns, which causes another disaster.
We also clearly remember a devastating earthquake hit Turkey on August 17. How miserable to see such collapsed buildings and victims in the mountains of rubble. Some people point out fragile buildings and negligent policies triggered the devastation.
Question 1: Are you ready for a coming natural disaster ?
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Question 2: Are you satisfied with the governmental policy for natural disasters ?
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Question 3: Can you imagine technological development overcome Mother nature's wrath ?
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Question 4: Anything about this week's topic.