Lecture 1:
- Kushida K. E. (2016). Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: An Overview. In Scott D.
Sagan, & Edward D. Blandford. Learning from a disaster: improving nuclear safety
and security after Fukushima (pp. 13-22). Stanford Security Studies.
- The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission. (2012)
Executive Summary of the Official Report. Tokyo: The National Diet of Japan.
- Fukushima Uncensored documentary: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6lag66
- https://www.youtube.com/@FNN311 (YouTube channel)
Kushida
Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: An Overview
Tohoku earthquake March 11 → massive tsunami → one of the world’s most serious nuclear
disasters, due to its damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (TEPCO)
→ attempts to restore cooling did not succeed → meltdowns etc.
→ no direct deaths from radiation exposure (displacing)
The disaster as it unfolded
The nuclear accident was caused by the earthquake and the tsunami → each a different
type of destruction
Asano, S. 2005. ‘GENDER ISSUES IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Alternative
Movement Against the Kobe City Artery Project, Post-Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake’.
Communities Constructing.
The earthquake
Workers evacuated themselves to a newly constructed emergency operations center after
the earthquake
The tsunami: devastating excess and critical deficiency of water
→ it destroyed much of the cooling system that cools fuel rods, consisting of pumps
responsible for pumping seawater into the reactor building
→ also destroyed almost all of the on-site backup power sources and infrastructure
→ emergency shutdowns were successful, however the fuel rods required tons of water
Easy information and Communication Difficulties
→ severe information and communications problems at all levels of decision-making plagued
the recovery effort
- telecommunications networks, transport, airports, roads, power outage
Initial recovery efforts: the direct line and race to provide electricity
→ inject water and provide electricity to the plant
Venting the reactor buildings
→ reduce pressure within the pressure containment vessel
Injecting sea water
→ 4 reactors
The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission
,Lecture 2:
- Egawa, S., Sasaki, H., Suppasri, A., & Tomita, H. (2021). 1.3 Historical developments
in Health EDRM policy and research: the case study of Japan. WHO guidance on
research methods for health emergency and disaster risk management, 16.
(https://extranet.who.int/kobe_centre/sites/default/files/pdf/WHO%20Guidance_Rese
arch%20Methods_Health-EDRM_1.3.pdf)
- Aitsi-Selmi, A., Egawa, S., Sasaki, H., Wannous, C., & Murray, V. (2015). The Sendai
framework for disaster risk reduction: Renewing the global commitment to people’s
resilience, health, and well-being. International journal of disaster risk science, 6(2),
164-176.
- Maly, E., & Suppasri, A. (2020). The Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction at
five: Lessons from the 2011 great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. International
Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 11(2), 167-178.
- Suppasri, A., Latcharote, P., Bricker, J. D., Leelawat, N., Hayashi, A., Yamashita, K.,
... & Imamura, F. (2016). Improvement of tsunami countermeasures based on
lessons from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami—situation after
five years. Coastal Engineering Journal, 58(4), 1640011-1.
Egawa
Disaster risk: the potential loss of life…. vulnerability and capacity
- Disaster risk management
→ conditions of risk: hazard, exposure, vulnerability, capacity
→ risk x function
Japan: Disaster Risk Reduction → manage the risks of large-scale disasters
→ occurrence: geographical and climate conditions
→ impact: magnitude, vulnerabilities, socioeconomic conditions (poverty, social
development, poor infrastructure, limited drr → deaths, injuries, illnesses
after a disaster: response, recovery, reducing risks, anticipating, preparing etc.
→ This chapter shows how the environment has improved in Japan for conducting Health
EDRM research as a result of historical events
1.3.1 Using the history of disasters to understand disaster risk
- Japan has a long history of preserving documents: tsunami’s, earthquake’s etc.
→ more recently, the region has improved its risk management, by building earthquake-proof
housing and longer and taller sea walls and education for evacuating people
→ the occurrence of major tsunami’s in all areas of the world shows the importance of
assessing and understanding hazards via historical events, and not relying solely on recent
experiences.
1.3.3 Large-scale disasters prompt policy changes to address health needs
→ after world war II, earthquakes in Japan that killed thousands of people → consequently,
the government of Japan established the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act in 1961 and
developed comprehensive and systematic disaster risk management as a national priority
→ annual report “the White Paper”: provides an overview of disasters in Japan, various
statistical data and disaster management measures taken by the government.
, - Building standards for nuclear reactors was established in 1981 and further modified
in 2006
Development of disaster nursing support system
→ Japan Nursing Association (JNA) established the volunteer nurses dispatching system for
the response to disasters after the 1995 Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake
- International Council of Nurses (global)
1.3.3 Development of an acute mental health support system
1.3.4 Development of a long-term mental health support system
1.3.4 The National Disaster Medical System
Components of the Japanese National Disaster Medical System
Disaster base hospitals:
- Seismic-proof structure
- Emergency supply of power, water, medical gas
- Emergency department, intensive care unit and heliport.
- Business continuity plan (added in April 2019)
→ also provide education in disaster medicine to health professionals
Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT)
→ specially trained medical professionals comprising up to five members working together
using a single car
→ periodic training and education (after 2011: more focus on communication, coordination
and hospital support)
Staging Care Unit (SCU) and wide area transportation
→ to reduce the number of preventable disaster deaths: select patients who will be
transported to non-affected areas
→ based at an airport close to the affected area
Emergency Medical Information System (EMIS)
→ share real-time information among fieldworkers, headquarters and central government
→ collects, updates and shares information about the function of disaster base hospitals and
other ons in the affected area, road and airport conditions etc.
1.3.2 Additional components of the Japanese National Disaster Medical System introduced
after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
Disaster medical coordinators
→ appointed by prefectures and coordinate the activities of external and internal medical
assistance teams for health needs of affected populations
Disaster Psychiatry Assistance Team
→ assist psychiatric hospitals and support surge mental health needs in affected areas after
disasters
Disaster Health Emergency Assistance Team
→ assist the management function of the public health sector in affected local municipalities,
through information collection, integration, analysis and sharing with fieldworkers
Japan Disaster Rehabilitation Assistance Team
→ assist, in particular, older people and people with disability from the very early phase of
evacuation
Mother and Child Health Liaison
→ Paediatricians and obstetricians join the disaster medical headquarters team to
coordinate mother and child health issues, including perinatal care and mental and physical
support of children.
