Disasters always come when people have forgotten them." This is an aphorism that is a household word in Japan.
Japan is the country with the most earthquakes in the world. The area of Japan and its surrounding continental shelf accounts for only 0.1 percent of the world's total area, but this region accumulates about 10 percent of the world's seismic energy; about 15 percent of the world's earthquakes occur in Japan.
Statistics show that nearly 1,000 felt earthquakes occur in Japan every year, with major earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher occurring about once a year, and strong earthquakes of magnitude 8 or higher occurring about once every 10 years.
There were 960 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or higher worldwide between 1994 and 2003, 220 of which occurred in and around Japan, accounting for 22.9 percent of the world total.
After the Japan quake, some experts commented that Japan's "3-11" quake must be another classic case for scientific research in the history of human resistance to earthquakes.
China
Sound earthquake relief laws
There are a few points in time that deserve high attention:
At 13:46 GMT on March 11, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, at a latitude of 38.1 degrees north and a longitude of 142.6 degrees east. Japan Meteorological Agency quickly to the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture issued a large-scale tsunami warning, and at the same time to the neighboring countries issued a tsunami warning.
Japan's Meteorological Agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued an aftershock warning, urging people to be alert for aftershocks and to flee to higher ground for shelter as soon as possible.
Minutes later, a large tsunami warning had been issued across Japan, with Okinawa Prefecture saying a 4-meter-high tsunami could be observed in Miyakojima. East Japan Railway then announced that all Shinkansen lines under its aegis had stopped running.
At around 15:00, aerial footage from Japan's NHK television station already showed the tsunami racing toward the main island of Japan.
At about 15:20, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan made a speech at the prime minister's official residence, expressing his hope that the whole country of Japan would be united and that the government would do its best to provide relief to help the people in the affected areas and calling on the people to be calm and help each other **** through the disaster.
At 1525 hours, the Japanese government told the public that it had dispatched all ships moored inside its Yokosuka base to leave for the waters off Miyagi Prefecture.
As people in Sendai and other places evacuated to higher ground, people in Tokyo and other major cities emerged from shaking buildings and descended from stalled subways. Television footage showed passengers descending from the rear of the subway, with the elderly, women and children coming out first, and people walking in an orderly fashion to ground level along elevated railroad tracks, guided by police.
It was the largest earthquake to hit Japan in 140 years, surpassing the intensity of the Sept. 1, 1923, Great Kanto Earthquake. The Kanto quake, which had a magnitude of 7.9, killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area, while the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which struck at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1995 (with a magnitude of 7.9), also left 6,437 people dead or missing.
At press time, more than 5,000 people had been killed or were missing in the quake and tsunami. And without the tsunami, the death toll would have been much lower.
Wang Ke, a member of the Committee to Support Disaster Relief of the Conference of Chinese Professors in Japan and a professor at the Graduate School of Kobe University in Japan, has done in-depth research on earthquakes and disaster relief in Japan. He told reporters, "Japan, as a major earthquake country, has accumulated many precious experiences in earthquake resistance and disaster relief over the centuries."
In the face of the sudden onslaught of the huge earthquake, by the huge impact of the local government and local residents did not panic, but calm response. Wang Ke told reporters that the reason for such a miracle, the primary reason is because Japan has developed a social, economic, financial, cultural, education, life, well-being, international exchanges and other aspects, and each other with the integration of the recovery policy system.
And the accurate grasp of the above time point and timely disclosure of information is also an important reason for the public "calm".
Wang Ke took the "Great Hanshin Earthquake" as an example, telling reporters that the earthquake forced people to change their traditional understanding with the ferocity of nature, realizing that no matter how developed and highly functional a modern city is, there is a fragile side to it.
According to Wang Ke introduction, in the "Great Hanshin Earthquake", the Japanese government and the local government to establish a 10-year rehabilitation program, the basic idea is to build a man and nature, man and man, man and society in harmony with the "*** living society". .
The reporter noted that the revitalization system includes "measures to build a 21st-century welfare district" and "measures to build a district that is rich in culture and open to the world." "Measures to promote industrial upgrading and competitiveness of next-generation industrial activities," and "Measures to build a multi-center, networked metropolitan society," among others.
It is reported that the experience and soundness of earthquake disaster relief is firstly reflected in the legislation. Japan's legislation on earthquake relief covers such key aspects as how earthquakes are prevented, how relief is provided after an earthquake occurs, and how to rebuild after a disaster.
In 1947, Japan enacted the Disaster Relief Law, the earliest law on disaster response, and in 1961, the Basic Law for Disaster Countermeasures. These two laws were not enacted specifically to deal with earthquake disasters, but they contain elements to deal with them, such as clarifying the responsibilities of all levels of government in Japan in earthquake relief, the roles that other public ****organizations should play, and stipulating financial and fiscal measures to deal with each stage of the disaster.
In 1978, Japan enacted the Act on Special Measures for Large-Scale Earthquakes to improve the early warning system for earthquakes, as well as to strengthen rescue measures after earthquakes, in the hope of minimizing earthquake damage.
In 1995, the Act on Special Measures for Countermeasures against Earthquake Disasters was enacted, which mainly stipulates how to build evacuation sites, evacuation routes, and the construction of firefighting facilities, etc., as well as stipulating that Japan should set up the Earthquake Investigation and Research Promotion Headquarters to strengthen earthquake research. It also stipulated that Japan should establish an Earthquake Investigation and Research Promotion Headquarters to strengthen the investigation and research of earthquakes.
Under the guidance of the above laws, Japan has established a mechanism to respond to earthquake disasters. According to the Basic Law for Disaster Countermeasures of 1961, the Cabinet established the Central Disaster Prevention Conference (CDPC), chaired by the Prime Minister and comprising Cabinet ministers, experts and scholars in the field of earthquakes, etc. A number of Investigation Committees for Earthquake Prevention were set up under the CDPC, and they were tasked with advising on investigation reports. Under the 1995 Act on Special Measures for Earthquake Disaster Prevention and Countermeasures, the Cabinet established the Headquarters for the Promotion of Earthquake Investigations and Research, and under this department there is a Committee for Earthquake Investigations, which evaluates the likelihood of earthquakes occurring on active faults and trench earthquakes.
China
Meticulous emergency response system
Every year around Jan. 17, each district government in Japan inspects the stockpile of food and supplies in the district and orders from the Industrial Agency if there is insufficient quantity or if the time for consumption has expired or the quality is not up to standard
In addition to these major laws, Japan has also passed the Basic Law for Construction and the Building Earthquake Resistance Improvement Promotion Law, which requires builders to submit a structural design report to the government before construction to prove that the building to be constructed meets the seismic strength standards stipulated by the law; the latter requires buildings in public **** places such as schools, hospitals, and shopping malls to increase their seismic strength.
It is reported that the Japanese government has clearly stipulated in earlier years that buildings in public **** places such as schools, government and gymnasiums should have a seismic level of 8 or higher.
Japan's earthquake prevention has a basic principle, that is, "the school is the first refuge," requiring "students' lives sustain the country's future" as the highest principle, strengthen the seismicity of the housing. 1995 Hanshin earthquake, the Japanese government began to After the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, the Japanese government began to implement the School Building Reinforcement Program. Under this program, all elementary and secondary schools in the country underwent a comprehensive seismic inspection, and those schools that did not meet the latest seismic requirements (seismic requirements of level 7) were immediately reinforced.
For example, in the reconstruction plan following the Great Hanshin Earthquake, it was explicitly stated that the local disaster-resistant capacity would be improved through housing reconstruction. In order to improve local disaster resistance, the local government of Kobe, in conjunction with the city's overall planning and with flexibility, is improving the seismic and fire resistance of all homes, including existing homes, by inspiring and popularizing daily maintenance and management of homes, in addition to constructing neighborhoods with a high degree of disaster resistance and concentrating old wooden homes.
The revitalization plan proposes the implementation of land preservation programs such as mountain control, water control, sand control and coastal restoration, the strengthening of earthquake and fire resistance of buildings, mainly public **** facilities, and the introduction of new energy systems such as solar power generation, in order to prevent or minimize damage caused by disasters, and at the same time, to build a strong and beautiful city with rapid and accurate restoration. In particular, it is necessary to reduce the load on the environment and live in harmony with nature, while making urban infrastructure and other facilities comfortable and interesting. In addition, it is necessary to promote the diversification of transportation networks and water, electricity, gas, communication and transportation networks, and to build an information and communication network that is capable of withstanding disasters, and to ensure the backup function of residents' lives.
In addition, Japan has paid special attention to the establishment and improvement of the disaster medical system. Based on the current emergency medical care system, a comprehensive system has been established to collect and provide disaster medical information, issue orders to medical and transportation departments, and provide emergency medical care, transportation of patients, and stockpiling of medical supplies within each secondary medical area. At the same time, a core facility for disaster medical care will be created for the entire region.
Japan also has institutional arrangements for earthquake preparedness and resistance, and the Disaster Response Emergency Response System Handbook has detailed provisions specifically for food and supplies: "The food provided is in principle staple food of onigiri (rice balls), boxed lunches, or bread." "The standard for providing food is 1,200 yen per person per day." "The period for which food is provided will continue in principle until the lifeline functions such as electricity, gas, and running water are restored, as well as the commercial functions of stores in the vicinity of the disaster area."
In order to prepare for a large-scale disaster (200,000 people affected by the disaster), it is important to establish a comprehensive "Citizen's Stockpile" for households, a "Distribution Stockpile" for commercial organizations, a "Relief Stockpile" for the state and its local governments, and a "Disaster Prevention Stockpile" for each of the disaster prevention organizations. A comprehensive stockpile system consisting of "citizen stockpiles" for households, "distribution stockpiles" for commercial organizations, "relief stockpiles" for the state and local governments, and "spot stockpiles" for disaster prevention sites will be established to ensure that emergency food will be available for three days after a disaster occurs. Among them, the disaster prevention centers will stockpile food for 100,000 people on the first day and 50,000 people on the second day after the disaster.
The food and supplies to be stockpiled include drinking water, dried rice, saltine crackers, canned food that can be preserved for a long time, blankets, mattresses, physiological supplies, diapers (for infants and adults), and powdered milk (with bottles).
Every year around January 17, each district government in Japan checks the food and supplies stockpiled in the district and orders them from the Bureau of Industry if they are insufficient in quantity or if they are out of date for consumption or of substandard quality. The Bureau of Industry is responsible for updating and replenishing the stockpile of food and supplies after accepting the order.
After the earthquake, how did the people get information? According to the reporter's understanding, the Japanese government at all levels has long had "how to collect and notify disaster information" and "how to provide information to the residents" of the plan.
In terms of information collection, "Disaster Emergency Response System Manual" stipulates that within one hour after the disaster, the content of the collection of information, including the victim around the district government (people, facilities, fires, buildings, foundations, etc.), the disaster around the police station, the information from the surveillance video (fires, collapsed houses, etc., the overall information on the disaster), the public **** broadcasting information (weather information), including the presence of tsunami, disaster information), and the information on the disaster, including the weather, the information on the disaster. (including the presence or absence of tsunamis, comprehensive information on the disaster), information from disaster prevention centers, etc.
The Handbook for Disaster Resilience and Emergency Response Systems stipulates that, immediately after a disaster occurs, employees at the disaster response site, such as government offices and evacuation centers, should collect information on the situation by all possible means and provide it to the residents by means of the administrative information communication system and posting it on bulletin boards. In addition, they should actively respond to interviews by the mass media and provide as much information as possible, and they should carry government bulletins, etc. with them so that they can provide information to the public at any time.
In the process of delivering information, it is especially important to provide specific and detailed information to the elderly, the disabled and foreigners through cooperation with the relevant departments.
The reporter also noted that Japan attaches great importance to the role of the media in the wake of disasters. For example, the Handbook for Disaster Response and Emergency Response System stipulates that the government shall immediately set up a media release center in a large conference room after a disaster occurs, and provide information on the situation to the public*** media in a unified manner through press conferences and dissemination of materials, etc.; information on the situation of the disaster collected by the information center of the disaster response headquarters in the initial stage of the disaster is to be released through the media release center; and in order to cope with the foreign media, an interpreter is to be dispatched to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications; After the release, the releaser should stay in the venue in order to respond to additional interviews; an Internet-based government release system should be established and actively used for releasing and providing information if the system is not damaged at the time of the disaster, and the government webpage should also play a role in releasing and providing information on the situation.
China
Building a culture of disaster prevention and resilience
In the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Great March 11 Earthquake in Japan, the self-help of each individual, the mutual assistance of residents, businesses, volunteers, experts, and administrators, as well as the public assistance organized by the executive branch, were the key factors that contributed to the success of the disaster. Wang Ke told reporters that in the "Great Hanshin Earthquake" and "3-11" Japan earthquake, can be found in each individual self-help, residents, enterprises, volunteers, experts, mutual assistance of administrators, as well as organized by the executive branch of the public help, the organic combination of the three played a great role. The combination of the three played a huge role.
And all of this is based on good education for all in earthquake prevention and disaster relief. According to domestic experts who have visited Japan's earthquake prevention and disaster relief, the first and foremost experience Japan has accumulated in its long-term practice of earthquake prevention and disaster relief is to strengthen education for earthquake prevention and disaster relief.
One is education for all. Every year, September 1 is Japan's Disaster Prevention Day, and August 30 to September 5 is Japan's Disaster Prevention Week. On Disaster Prevention Day and Week, all sectors of Japanese society hold a variety of activities such as lectures on disaster prevention, disaster prevention drills, and the promotion of new products for disaster prevention, and all walks of life contribute to earthquake relief. In addition, most of the Japanese stores sell "standing disaster emergency supplies bag", the bag has drinking water, compressed food, radio, commonly used medicines, commonly used equipment, simple tents, portable toilets and so on.
The second is school education. Japan's successful approach is to cultivate children's awareness and skills in earthquake prevention and disaster relief from an early age. Japan's elementary school are required to conduct monthly earthquake drills, so that elementary school students not only do not panic in the event of a real earthquake, but also know how to avoid and rescue.
Third, earthquake experience. There are many experience centers throughout Japan, open to the public free of charge. Inside the centers, there are vibration platforms that simulate earthquakes and smoke corridors that simulate the scene of a fire, so that people can experience the state of a magnitude 6 earthquake.
Experts point out that it is under this kind of regular and specialized education that the Japanese people's awareness of earthquake preparedness has permeated every aspect of their work and life. For example, furniture that is a little higher up in the house has a special device to fix it to the wall or ceiling in order to prevent it from falling down and hurting people during an earthquake. Placement of stereos, televisions or easily damaged artifacts, etc., in its corners are fixed non-slip rubber pads.
Reporters based on Wang Ke and the China Earthquake Administration experts, but also summed up a few "3-11" Japan earthquake earthquake relief experience:
After the quake, there was no rumors and rumors and chaos. The reason is that in a situation where the communication network is chaotic and information is difficult to grasp, if someone takes action without authorization on the basis of rumors, it may cause social panic. Therefore, it is very important not to blindly believe irresponsible or unidentified rumors and to try to get accurate information.
It is also important to consider the interests of others affected by disasters and to moderate one's behavior in extraordinary times. When large-scale disasters or accidents occur and urban functions are compromised, people's psyches can be shaken, and there may even be social panic and riots.
The massive earthquake occurred at a time when people were not psychologically prepared, but there was no major chaos. The scenes of people lining up for cars, lining up to shop at supermarkets, lining up for relief supplies and lining up for water supplies touched audiences around the world. Some experts say that after a disaster such as an earthquake, no matter what the occasion, you should not only think of yourself, but also put yourself in the shoes of others to understand their situation. In times of disaster, when you are in danger, others are also in danger. You should moderate your behavior and encourage and help each other to **** through the difficult times.
Community rescue and firefighting activities with neighbors have a huge impact. After an earthquake, many people are crushed underneath collapsed houses and need to be rescued immediately. While there was an acute shortage of rescue equipment and personnel, many people were saved by the timely assistance of local residents. In order to protect lives in earthquakes and fires by mobilizing the strength of local residents for rescue and initial firefighting activities, it is necessary to hold and participate in more self-disaster prevention training activities on a regular basis. For the elderly and people with limited mobility who cannot evacuate on their own, it is important that local residents work together to help them and get them to a safe place.
Businesses and stores quickly resumed operations, bolstering towns that had just been hit by the disaster. Self-service malls and convenience stores also suffered a lot of damage from the quake. But some stores, despite the damage, secured supplies through motorcycles, small trucks and ships and resumed business immediately. Truck associations, cab associations, and many businesses also actively cooperated in transporting relief goods and people. The quick resumption of business by businesses and stores in the chaotic period after the disaster became a spiritual support for residents of the affected areas, and it was also a very important thing for the early start of the city's revival and the reconstruction of the lives of the affected residents.
In addition, the lessons learned from the March 11 earthquake in Japan include the strengthening of a wide-ranging disaster prevention system and the establishment of a disaster management system, the prompt grasp of the disaster situation and the investigation of the damage, the prompt securing of roads and the restoration of the lifeline system, and so on.