EAP DRM Knowledge Notes

61 items available

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9401

This working paper series is produced by the East Asia and Pacific Disaster Risk Management Team of the World Bank, with support from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). The series provides just-in-time good practice examples and lessons learned from projects and programs related to aspects of disaster risk management.

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Cost Benefit Studies on Disaster Risk Reduction in Developing Countries

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-08-01) KC, Shyam

The focus of development actors working in the area of disaster management has shifted substantially from disaster recovery to disaster risk reduction over the past decade, coinciding with the decade of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015. Amidst this strategic shift, there is now the need to work towards ensuring that investments made to reduce disaster risks are cost-effective and that the benefits reach all members of the population including the poor and vulnerable, who are often 'affected disproportionately' (Global Assessment Report 2009, The Sendai Report 2012). The losses from natural disasters to mankind are undoubtedly massive-on average, globally every year over 100,000 people were killed and some 246 million people affected by natural disasters during the period 2002-2011 and the estimated average economic loss was US$131 billion per year. The purpose of this note is to briefly survey existing evidence in developing countries with regard to the benefits and costs of various disaster risk reduction interventions so as to provide some general lessons for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) practitioners on the strengths and limitations of such existing work. In doing so, this note examines evidence on the economics of DRR in developing countries. The note begins by providing a comparative guideline for analysis. This is followed by a summary diagnostic of seventeen case studies along five key dimensions comprising the guideline as follows: 1) metric and methodology, 2) sources of uncertainty, 3) measuring fatalities and injuries, 4) results obtained, and 5) disaggregated impacts. In the concluding section that follows, the note discusses the overall trends in the field of performing cost and benefits analysis of DRR measures and offers some recommendations for ways forward.
Land Value Capture in Urban DRM Programs

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-07) Dharmavaram, Soumya

Risk-sensitive land use planning is vital for sustainable economic development and effective Disaster Risk Management (DRM). Urban development programs should adopt risk-sensitive land use planning to encourage resilient development guiding the growth of people, assets and services within and away from hazardous zones. Many East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) countries have national land use policy and local plans which incorporate risk assessments; however, they typically lack the means for their implementation and incorporation into development planning. This note introduces the potential of Land Readjustment (LR) and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for DRM as seen in their application in Brazil, India, Japan, and the US. The note recommends that if municipalities build capacity for strategic land management, LR and TDR can be used effectively to finance and implement risk-sensitive land use plans. LR offers to accommodate and plan for risks with minimal displacement while TDR promises to equitably relocate development away from hazardous sites through the real estate market.
Reconstruction Policy and Planning

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) International Recovery Platform ; Tanaka, Yasuo ; Shiozaki, Yoshimitsu ; Hokugo, Akihiko ; Bettencourt, Sofia

The unprecedented damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) affected multiple locations, posing severe challenges for local governments. Based on advice from an independent council, the government acted quickly and issued a basic policy and regulation framework within four months, laying the foundation for an inclusive process of recovery and reconstruction. This note documents the interactive process of reconstruction planning, as conducted by various levels of government with the active engagement of affected people, experts, volunteers, and the private sector. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Risk and Damage Information Management

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Saito, Keiko

In Japan, municipalities are mandated to produce hazard maps for floods, storm surges, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, stagnant water, and landslides to which the municipality may be exposed. By combining exposure data with satellite images and aerial photographs, post-event damage assessments can be carried out with reasonable accuracy. Japan's experience with the disaster of March 2011 demonstrates that having exhaustive data on exposure expedites the damage assessment process, thereby reducing the time required for compensation payments and insurance payouts. Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) and tsunami, information on the damage caused by the disaster was collected rapidly and shared among responding agencies using a variety of top-down and bottom-up tools, including remotely sensed data, public and private datasets, and online tools such as the Ushahidi-based sinsai.info web site. The data-collection and dissemination effort underpinned assistance to the affected population, timely allocation of resources to areas in need, and effective reconstruction planning. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Risk Communication

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Shaw, Rajib ; Takeuchi, Yukiko ; Matsuura, Shohei ; Saito, Keiko

Risk communication is an important component of disaster risk management (DRM) because it shapes people's perceptions of risk and influences their actions with respect to disaster preparedness and disaster response. It also influences the intervention decisions that are made throughout the disaster management cycle. The credibility of the information source takes a long time to build and needs to be well established before a disaster strikes. In Japan, the level of trust in government and other official communications was sorely tested following the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Successful risk communication occurs when there is holistic learning, facilitation, and trust. In holistic learning, the gap in knowledge between the information sender and receiver is minimal. Hazard maps, booklets, and videos can all help narrow that gap when it comes to disaster education and risk communication. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Risk Assessment and Hazard Mapping

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Sagara, Junko ; Saito, Keiko

Hazard and risk assessments are the crucial first step in disaster risk management (DRM) and the basis for formulating DRM policies. They must take into account worst-case scenarios in the event of the largest possible hazard, while recognizing that hazard assessments of earthquakes and tsunamis will always have their limitations and associated uncertainties. In Japan so-called hazard maps, that combine hazard information with evacuation routes and locations of evacuation centers, are effective tools for promoting evacuation procedures and risk awareness among the public. However, in the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), these hazard maps, created before the event, may have given people a false sense of security by underestimating the disaster's potential impact. Hazard maps should be designed to guide and facilitate prompt evacuation. They should be easy to understand and readily available. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Transitional Shelter

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Shiozaki, Yoshimitsu ; Tanaka, Yasuo ; Hokugo, Akihiko ; Bettencourt, Sofia

Transitional shelter can play a crucial role in housing reconstruction following a mega disaster. Reconstruction of permanent housing cannot move forward until a number of complex issues are settled, such as relocation planning and removal of debris. Even after plans are agreed on and reconstruction begins, it may take several years for permanent housing to be completed. In this context, affected people may need to rely on transitional shelter for extended periods of time, and this will have a significant effect not only on housing, but also on their overall recovery including livelihood rehabilitation. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Measuring the Cost-effectiveness of Various DRM Measures

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Toyama, Masato ; Sagara, Junko

The Japanese experience shows that if done right- preventive investments pay. The Japanese government invested about 7 to 8 percent of the total budget for disaster risk management (DRM) in the 1960s, a move that most probably decreased disaster deaths. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of DRM projects have been widely implemented both at national and local levels in Japan. Different procedures for such analysis have been followed according to the type of project, the funds, and the governing entity responsible. The Japanese experience shows that CBA is applicable to DRM related projects and is a useful tool in choosing among different options and understanding the effectiveness of a project. This report gives introduction; findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Debris Management

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Sakai, Shinichi ; Bettencourt, Sofia U.

Some 20 million tons of waste resulted from the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). The amount of debris in Iwate prefecture was 11 times greater than in a normal year, and in Miyagi 19 times greater. Appropriate treatment and disposal depends on the type of debris or waste, while recycling should also be considered. Authorities should prepare for disasters by designating temporary storage sites and routes for transporting waste. Japan's existing debris management plans are being revised to include methods for estimating the amount of disaster waste generated by tsunamis and appropriate measures for dealing with it. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.
Infrastructure Rehabilitation

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-01) Sagara, Junko ; Ishiwatari, Mikio

Social infrastructure and public utilities are critical for quick and effective disaster response and recovery. Japan's rigorous seismic reinforcement of infrastructure has greatly reduced the effort required to restore essential facilities. Identification of priority infrastructure, legislation of financial arrangements for rehabilitation, and establishment of pre-disaster plans alongside the private sector have enabled prompt emergency response operations and facilitated a quick rehabilitation. This report gives findings; lessons; and recommendations for developing countries.