In Japan, natural disasters such as typhoons, heavy rain, and floods occur in some areas every year. Local governments affected by disasters have not only have made further efforts to strengthen disaster prevention but also mitigation measures to prepare for future disasters and enhance the safety and relief of citizens.
When I worked for the Kagoshima Prefecture government, I often heard the term “8.6 flood”. This refers to the heavy rain disaster occurred in early August 1993, causing extensive damage, including landslides and river flooding, mainly in Kagoshima Prefecture. This event left a deep impression on people. After the disaster, the Kagoshima Prefecture government modified river channels and built dams to prevent river overflowing, as well as debris-slide barriers to prevent landslides that isolated areas. In 2018, the Kagoshima Meteorological Office recorded more rainfall than the 8.6 floods; however, there were no flood damage to houses caused by river overflowing and fewer houses affected by landslides, thanks to the implemented countermeasures.
The 2024 CLAIR Forum will be held on March 11th both online and in person. The theme is “Disaster Management and Resilience”. We would like to thank UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance for their support and co-hosting of the event, as well as Japan Foundation, Sydney, which kindly provided the excellent venue. Our five staff members, originally seconded from the central government, prefectural government, and municipalities, will introduce the efforts of their respective dispatch agencies.
If you are interested in the forum, please access the link below:
https://www.jlgc.org.au/ja/our-activities/clair-forum/
