Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: A Business Process Management Perspective

The Tohoku Regional Bureau(TRB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism(MLIT) performed various actions in response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The total disaster recovery and reconstruction period is expected to last for 10 years, of which the first five years are regarded as the concentrated reconstruction period. As of 2013, a majority of the mega projects that involved restoration actions have been completed, which indicates a more effective rate of completion compared with the MLIT projects performed in normal non-disaster situations. This short article explains the management process of the recovery and reconstruction utilized by the TRB—an interorganizational process—from a business process management(BPM) perspective and creates a simple organization construction diagram of the entire process. The study focused on the transactions and actor roles to identify their strengths. The findings indicate the utilization of different operational procedures in some parts of the process, the importance of liaison role, as well as some obstacles. The lessons learned from this analysis can assist managers and researchers in designing and managing restoration processes for future disasters.

Deformations of Land,Sea and Gravity Levels by the 2009 Samoa Earthquake

The Samoa Islands were struck by the September 2009 earthquake of Mw 8.1. We study the effect on the land level by means of GPS monitoring and on ocean level by tide-gauge records. This allows us to present a new picture of the interaction of crustal movements, gravitational adjustment and sea level changes. The land level exhibits a co-seismic uplift followed by a post-seismic crustal subsidence. The ocean level records a fall, significantly larger than the uplift and delayed by several months, followed by a significant rise, by far exceeding the crustal subsidence and delayed by several months. This indicates a significant contribution from changes in gravity (geoidal eustasy), besides relative sea level changes due to crustal movements. High amplitude, and high frequency changes in tidal range provide evidence of changes in gravity and geoidal eustasy.

Seismological Research in Indonesia1

Indonesia is situated at the juncture of three major tectonic plates: the Eurasian, the Pacific and the Indo-Australian plates. As a result, many parts of the country are classified as being at a high risk of earthquake and tsunami disasters. In Indonesia, the Bureau of Meteorology and Geophysics (BMG) is the agency responsible for the monitoring of tectonic earthquakes and tsunamis induced by them. For this purpose, BMG operates seismic networks throughout Indonesia. In order to serve better, BMG will have to improve its monitoring system. Many agencies and universities in Indonesia have done research in the field of seismology, including seismotectonics, earthquake hazards, and so on. Joint research has been done with agencies/universities from abroad. Considering the fact that some earthquake prone areas in Indonesia suffer from frequent disasters, a study on earthquake prediction in some areas of interest would contribute to achieving some long-term goals of the Bureau.

Households' Risk Perception and Behavioral Responses to Natech Accidents

This study analyzes data on households' risk perception and protective behavior following a natural disaster triggered technological accident(Natech accident)that occurred at an industrial park in Sendai during the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, on 11 March2011. The results indicate that some households carried out multiple evacuations and that households' risk perceptions changed throughout the Natech accident evacuation process. Risk perception differed according to household location and demographic characteristics. We also found differences in the protective measures adopted for households in different locations. Specifically, those living closer to the Natech accident tended to evacuate immediately,whereas those living further away tended to shelter in place. Wind direction is discussed as a factor that influences households' risk perception and evacuation response to a Natech accident. The findings of this study advance knowledge of household behavior in response to a Natech accident and can assist emergency managers in developing strategies for better management of evacuation processes.