Risk Management Failure of Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

Running Head: RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
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1RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
For dealing with the adverse impact of natural disasters every country keeps a disaster
management which is responsible to mitigate the impact with rigorous preparedness. It
incorporates a number of private sectors, communities, volunteers and individuals from
governmental and non-governmental organisations. In this case, Japan had witnessed a
catastrophic natural calamity during 2011 which crippled the normal life of Japan with heavy
loss of property and life (Olson and Wu 2015). In response to this a pertinent question arises in
regards to the role of risk management. In order to get an advance alarm of the natural calamity,
it is the responsibility of the risk management to estimate the fatality of the disaster and reduce
damage. Therefore, the essay is going to discuss about the efficiency of risk management in
Japan to reduce the damage caused by Tsunami and earthquake in 2011.
Japan is encircled by world’s densest seismometer network and also has the biggest tsunami
barrier. Therefore, it was evident that the country would bear the highest amount of destruction.
Despite of knowing this fact the risk management team of Japan was failed to reduce the
intensity of the damage. As a result of that over 4 million buildings were ravaged and around
28,000 people were found missing or dead (Gonzalez-Riancho et al. 2015). The destruction of
property was accounted over $300 billion which was about 4% of the GDP of Japan at that time
(Suppasri et al. 2016). This was purely projected the failure of the risk management in Japan to
get anticipation of the damaging capability of the disaster. Moreover, this failure in respect to the
risk management exposed the inadequate measures taken by the risk management organisation
and futility of their working process. Immediate mobilisation of resources was obstructed and in
addition to this the medical aid, food and water supply was severely damaged as well.
In this spectrum there is a bigger dimension of stake holders associated with the risk
management of tsunami and earthquake in Japan. The country is divided into various kinds of

2RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
stakeholders in terms of women, people with disability, senior citizens, environment and
ecosystem, the people who were associated with the process of risk management. However, it
will be overestimated to express that every stakeholders were equally identified by the risk
management facility, but in reality there was an absence of possible stakeholders who were
supposed to be played a pivotal role in reducing the damages from that mega disaster (Gibson et
al. 2016). Stakeholders like the common people like senior citizens, disabled individuals were
not identified as the stakeholders of the tsunami and earthquake risk management. The national
government and the local government have some idea about the coming of tsunami but the
common people were kept in dark. As a result of that in due course of the disaster the Japanese
people did not get the time to prepare themselves for the calamities and in return caused heavy
damage.
There were a number of negative impacts of tsunami and earthquake on the earth. It can
be asserted that tsunamis and earthquake are the deadliest natural calamities which have
enormous power of destruction. Therefore, the possible consequences are-
Tsunami and earthquake can jeopardize the ecological balances of the earth. The
destruction of forests and aquatic life, damages in the coral reefs and the environment can
develop threats and challenges to the sustainability of earth. Besides this, there are adverse
impact of tsunamis and earthquakes in the spectrum of health. Damaging the drinking water
facility, ample supply of food and medical care can affect for the health and care sector adversely
(Van Der Vegt et al. 2015). In fact, stagnant water can promote the growth of insects which is
detrimental for the healthy atmosphere. There is also the economic impact on local economy
which was ravaged by the coming of tsunami and earthquakes. In the coastal and mountain areas
due to the eruption and creation of tsunami and earthquake, the local tourism industry will be

3RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
affected badly. As a result of loss of revenue for business usher hardship for the local population.
In addition to this, the psychological impact cannot be overlooked also. There are short term and
long term psychological impact on the social well being affected by tsunami and earthquake.
Issues like trauma can be vulnerable for children and adolescents (Chan 2015).
In this context, tsunami and earthquake in Japan damaged the health and economy of the
country mostly. It can also be ascribed that in the health and economic sector due to heavy loss
of health and properties the country faced a series of problems which were against the future
progress of Japan.
The magnitude of the devastation was so fatal that it took the country aback up to 10
years. It was estimated that 1.68 million people were died in Japan due to the lack of risk
management efficiency and warning. Moreover, an amount of 62,000 people sought shelter
because of the malfunctioning of the risk management (Gonzalez-Riancho et al. 2015). In Japan
only the loss of property was estimated at an amount of approximately $300 billion which was
about 4% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) of the country (Suppasri et al. 2016).
The tsunami disaster gave a fatal blow to the Japanese population and economy.
Therefore, the government was willing to initiate some new strategies in the risk management
process of the country. In combating this disaster in the post-tsunami scenario the national and
local government started to respond in a more matured way. By drafting reconstruction plans
with introducing new plan and paradigms to the risk management strategy are significant. The
Japanese Meteorological Agency used an Earthquake Early Warnings (EEWs) which was used to
be considered as the most advanced system (Ai et al. 2016). However, after the tsunami in 2011
the JMA expanded the seismic monitoring network by installing a broadband and offshore

4RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
monitoring system. This system is referred to be the most effective system till now and the
Japanese government is also looking for its newest modifications (Yun and Hamada 2015).
It can be concluded that mistakes provides the lesson to lean and in case of Japan the
government and JMA also identified the possible flaw of their risk management system. In that
context, the authority of Japan also takes initiative to modify the existing set up and create a
better risk management framework which is seemed to be more effective and efficient.

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6RISK MANAGEMENT FAILURE OF JAPAN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
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