Expert Govt. agency badly needed to manage disasters

May 15, 2016

LDP proposes agency to handle disasters

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160515_09/

Japan's main governing Liberal Democratic Party says there is a need to secure personnel with expertise in disaster management, with a view to setting up a government agency.

An LDP working team has been studying the government's initial actions 5 years ago when a massive earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan.

In its report, the team evaluates the government's quick response to the disaster based on lessons learned from the 1995 quake that devastated Kobe and nearby areas.

But it says the government was not able to collect necessary information from Tokyo Electric Power Company at the time of the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

The report says that this caused a delay in supporting people who had to evacuate the area.

The report also urges the government to establish a backup system for Tokyo's function as the nation's capital in case the city is hit by a giant quake.

The report refers to the recent powerful earthquakes in the southwestern city of Kumamoto. It says that in some cases aid distribution was not effective due to the lack of information about evacuees and shelters.

It calls for better cooperation between the central government, municipalities and the private sector.

The LDP plans to submit the report to the government soon.