TITLE:
Learning from Japan for Possible Improvement in Existing Disaster Risk Management System of Nepal
AUTHORS:
Ganesh Kumar Jimee, Kimiro Meguro, Amod Mani Dixit
KEYWORDS:
Learnings from Japan, Disaster Risk Management Act, Disaster
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Earthquake Research,
Vol.8 No.2,
May
27,
2019
ABSTRACT: Nepal and Japan, both are multi-hazard prone countries having experience of
devastating disasters. It is difficult, if not impossible, to stop natural hazard
events at source. However, the impact can be reduced significantly by preventing
them from turning into disasters. The impact of disasters can vary depending
on the capacity to handle the situation; and the capacity depends on the level
of preparedness and mitigation measures taken in advance. Japan has set
example for the rest of the world when it comes to Disaster Risk Management
(DRM). Recovery and reconstruction after disasters are not just to develop
the area as it was earlier, but it has to be taken as an opportunity for developing
better than earlier, which is called as “Build Back Better”. This concept
was raised by Japanese Government in UN World conference, Sendai in 2015
[1]. Dynamic, evolutionary and proactive DRM policy and plans with innovation,
and the use of science and technology to find solutions, and effective
implementation of the policy and plans, coupled with the culture of safety
among the citizens, and the spirit of never give up “Nana KarobiYa Oki”
(Seven times fall down, Eight times get up), are the unique features that every
country should learn from Japan’s DRM mechanism. This paper is an effort
to buy-in the good practices from Japan to improve DRM system in Nepal. It
is a product of three-month intensive research in the University of Tokyo
under a PhD research that consisted of reviewing existing DRM documents
and several interactive meetings with stakeholders in Japan.